The Criminal Records Office (ACRO) of the United Kingdom was forced to take down its customer portal due to a cybersecurity incident.
This move disrupted several operations, including police certificate procurement processing, which is crucial to process visa applications.
ACRO has acknowledged the cyberattack but did not confirm whether it was a ransomware attack.
The cyber attack on ACRO is believed to be a ransomware attack, which likely aimed to steal data.
ESET’s global security advisor Jake Moore and Arcadia Group LTD’s Head of Security Operations Centre Kevin Beaumont are among the top cybersecurity figures who believe that it was a ransomware attack.
The cyberattack took place between 17 January and 21 March 2023.
During the two months, its website was impacted by the security breach, and user data was compromised.
Last week, ACRO sent an email to the affected people, stating that although there was no evidence of a data breach, the agency suspected some data, including identification and criminal conviction information, had been compromised.
Since its website is down, the agency has to process police certificate applications manually by email.
ACRO stated that it is working with national agencies to probe the incident, revealing that as soon as it realized the security breach it took the customer portal offline.
About ACRO
ACRO is the UK’s primary policing agency responsible for managing criminal records data and verifying those citizens who want to live or work abroad. The agency also exchanges these records with foreign governments for processing visa applications, as well as sharing information with British police and businesses.
The agency’s data input includes a decade’s worth of names, extended family details, and address histories. In addition, it includes new foreign addresses, passport information, legal representations, photos, data PIN cautions, convictions or charges, arrests, and reprimand-related information.
Furthermore, it checks individuals for cautions, prosecutions, and convictions, which is helpful to companies looking for employees and embassies processing visa applications. The information is extracted from the UK’s Police National Computer, as the agency has an agreement with the Cabinet Office.
(Source: Hackread.com)
(Image: ACRO)
