Hackers, who may be linked to the Russian group Lynx, attacked eight Royal Air Force and Royal Navy bases and stole confidential information from MoD employees. They published the names and email addresses of the staff on the dark web.
According to the investigation, the hackers gained access through maintenance and construction contractor Dodd Group, bypassing the Armed Forces' cyber defenses. Among the sites targeted is RAF Lakenheath in Suffolk, home to US F-35 fighter jets and likely nuclear bombs. Other bases include Portreath Air Force Base, a top-secret radar station that is part of the NATO air defense network, and Preannac Air Force Base, home to the UK's National Drone Centre.
A former military intelligence officer called the incident a “catastrophic security failure” that would cause “huge alarm” in the United States.
The incident comes after a warning from the National Cyber Security Center of a record number of cyber attacks in the UK, with 204 incidents up to September this year alone.
The Defense Department said it is actively investigating the incident.
