Russian hackers break into the computer systems of the British Ministry of Defence. Data on bases and military personnel, compromised
A tense new episode in the digital war that runs parallel to traditional military conflicts emerged in the British media on Sunday. According to the Mail on Sunday, Russian hackers would have managed to penetrate the computer systems that manage sensitive data within the British Ministry of Defence, targeting information about military personnel, but also about strategic bases such as RAF Lakenheath – where American F-35 aircraft are stationed.
F-35 plane/PHOTO: Archive
272,000 military personnel potentially affected
The main target of the cyber attack was the Dodd Group, a subcontracting company that handles maintenance and construction work at several military facilities. Through a ransomware attack, hackers gained temporary access to the firm's internal systems, extracting data that included names, bank accounts and — in some cases — addresses of active duty personnel and veterans.
“We can confirm that The Dodd Group was recently targeted by a ransomware incident in which an unauthorized third party temporarily gained access to part of our internal systems,” the company said in a statement. “Our forensic investigation is ongoing, but we are aware of claims that the extracted data has been published online.”
Ministry of Defense: “We are actively investigating”
The British Ministry of Defense reacted promptly, without explicitly confirming the nature or extent of the information leak, but acknowledging that there are signals about the publication of data on the Dark Web.
“We are actively investigating claims that information relating to the Ministry of Defense has been published in the hidden digital space,” a spokesman said. “To protect sensitive operational data, we will not provide further details.”
RAF Lakenheath, among the bases targeted
Among the information accessed would be data on strategically important military locations, including RAF Lakenheath, home to US Air Force F-35 aircraft. It is a location with a key role in NATO's air deterrence architecture in Europe.
The Daily Mail reminds that it is not the first time that the British Ministry of Defense has been affected by a security breach. In February 2022, an official accidentally leaked details of Afghans involved in collaboration with British forces as London tried to evacuate them through a discreet channel known as the Afghanistan Response Route.
A matter of national security
At a time when relations between the West and Russia are strained, such incidents raise serious questions about the protection of critical infrastructures, not only militarily, but also cyber. Access to military personnel data, including financial and logistical, can be used for influence operations or even to compromise the security of missions.
For now, the British authorities avoid making alarmist statements. But the incident marks a new sensitive point in a hybrid war that seems far from over.
