BBC Hit by Cyberattack, Compromising Sensitive Data of Over 25,000 Former and Current Staff

By Trisha Andrada

May 30, 2024 05:54 AM EDT

More than 25,000 current and past workers of BBC had their sensitive information exposed in a data breach, prompting the British broadcaster to open an inquiry.

According to the BBC, there is no indication that the event was a ransomware assault, which is a frequent tactic used by organized cybercrime gangs to acquire substantial quantities of personal data.

Data Breach Exposes Around 25,290 Individual Records

On Wednesday, May 29, the company's pension scheme notified members in writing that a data security problem had compromised their personal information. About 25,290 individual records were impacted, a pension scheme representative told the Guardian.

The pension scheme informed impacted individuals via email that confidential documents had been taken from an online data storage facility. However, it did not elaborate on how the breach had occurred.

Members' names, date of birth, home addresses, national insurance number, and membership status in the BBC pension system are among the details exposed. Nevertheless, no critical health information, bank data, phone numbers, email addresses, passwords, or usernames were reportedly compromised.

In the United Kingdom, the Pensions Regulator and the Information Commissioner's Office (ICO) have both been notified of the occurrence.

BBC Launches Investigation, Implements Extra Security Measures

BBC Pension Trust head Catherine Claydon said the corporation has taken swift action to investigate and control the situation.

In an email statement, she said they are treating the matter seriously and have already isolated the cause of the breach. Extra security measures were implemented, Claydon added.

According to BBC, they have not found any indication of any abuse of private information, yet they are keeping an eye on the situation. Member are advised to be alert for any unusual activity.

This breach follows an assault on the BBC less than a year ago, when the Russian hacking organization Clop launched a coordinated cyber assault, as reported by the Telegraph.