The Legal Aid Agency (LAA) became aware of a cyber-attack on 23 April 2025 and have announced, 19 May 2025, that some personal details of those applying for legal aid from 2010, may also have been compromised.
The LAA have stated that these details may have included contact details and addresses of applicants, dates of birth, national ID numbers, criminal history, employment status and some financial information such as debts, payments and contribution amounts.
If you have applied for legal aid since 2010 please be extra vigilant regarding any unknown messages or phone calls. Please verify the person’s identity if you are communicating with anyone unknown on the phone or online.
It may also be wise to change any exposed passwords.
Further information on how to protect yourself can also be found on the National Cyber Security Centre: https://www.ncsc.gov.uk/guidance/data-breaches
The LAA have taken down the online service so not to run the risk of further exposure whilst they are tightening their security systems.
If you have any concerns regarding this incident, please contact the person dealing with your matter or Alison Harper, Data Protection Officer, at [email protected]
We will update this post when we have any further information from the LAA.