Dissident Republicans have got hold of leaked Northern Ireland police data: Reports
'Monumental' data breach exposes names, ranks of Northern Ireland police officers
Days after a major data breach was reported, Police Service of Northern Ireland (PSNI) chiefSimon Byrne said that sensitive information had fallen into the hands ofdissident Republicanswho could misuse it to settle scores.
"We are working round the clock to assess and mitigate this risk," said Byrne, adding that the industrial-scaledata leak could be used by thedissident Republican paramilitaries to generate "fear and uncertainty".
According to a BBC report, the data released includes the surname, first initials, rank and the unit they are based inof over 10,000 PSNI employees.
Liam Kelly, the chairman of the Police Federation for Northern Ireland (PFNI), urged police officers and staffers to exercise "maximum vigilance".
"We must do all we can to frustrate and prevent attacks on our colleagues and their families.That means varying the routes we take to and from work, changing routines and re-assessing our personal security both on and off duty," said Kelly.
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Workers fear for their security
The leak has incensed those involved with the police and others coming from nationalist backgrounds as the enemies could use the information to come after them and their families.
“For 18 years, I’ve relied on my family to help me protect my identity. I’ve denied myself a social life and gave up sports I loved. I can’t stay in touch with old friends on social media as I need to avoid the footprint. Now, this is all taken away at the click of a button," one of the nationalists was quoted as saying by The Guardian.
Over 3,00 officers have gotten in touch with the police federation regarding a potential legal case for damages. Lawyers have estimated that the eventual bill may come to around tens of millions of pounds.
Watch |US President Joe Biden meets UK PM Rishi Sunak in Northern Ireland
While the recent data leak took place on August 8, the authorities were given a warning when a similar data breach was attempted last month. On July 6, a police-issued laptop anddocuments identifying 200 officers and staff were stolen from a private vehicle. However, PSNI was only notified about the incident on August 4, with experts criticising the force's laggard response to the leaks.
The breach comes months after the terrorism threat level in Northern Ireland was raised to "severe" in response to an assassination attempt on a senior police officer by dissenting Republicans.
(With inputs from agencies)
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