Moj, NCA, and NCSC probe possible exposure of legal aid providers’ payment data in security breach.
The Ministry of Justice is investigating a possible data breach at the Legal Aid Agency (LAA), amid growing fears that sensitive financial information held by legal aid providers may have been accessed by hackers.
The breach came to light after the LAA sent letters to law firms last week, informing them of what it described as a “security incident.” Although the agency could not confirm the extent of the breach, the letter warned that third parties may have accessed payment information belonging to legal aid providers.
Now, the MoJ has confirmed it is working with both the National Crime Agency and the National Cyber Security Centre to investigate the incident. A spokesperson said the department is taking the matter “extremely seriously.”
Embed from Getty Images“We’re working with the National Crime Agency and National Cyber Security Centre to investigate the situation and it would be inappropriate to comment further at this stage,” the MoJ said in a public statement. “We have already taken action to bolster the security of the legal aid system.”
Although no definitive details have been released about the scale of the breach, the incident has triggered concern across the legal sector—particularly among small legal aid firms, many of which already struggle to remain financially viable.
Richard Atkinson, president of the Law Society, said the potential exposure of providers’ data was “extremely concerning.” He pointed to the outdated infrastructure underpinning the LAA’s operations, saying: “This incident underlines the urgent need to invest in modernising the Legal Aid Agency’s antiquated IT systems.”
Atkinson also emphasised that legal aid firms—many of them operating “on the margins of financial viability”—simply cannot afford to cope with the added uncertainty and potential financial fallout of a data breach.
“The last thing these firms need is financial insecurity caused by a cyber incident,” he added.
Sky News first reported the existence of the breach, revealing that the LAA’s internal communications had suggested payment data might be among the information at risk. While the agency has yet to confirm exactly what was accessed, the warning has sounded alarm bells across the sector.
Cybersecurity experts have warned for some time that legal organisations are prime targets for hackers due to the volume of sensitive information they hold. Jonathan Lee, cyber strategy director at Trend Micro, said the legal sector represents a “goldmine” for cybercriminals.
“With access to payment details, client data, and case information, cybercriminals can easily leverage this information to extort individuals by threatening to release confidential records online,” Lee explained. “This damages not only the individuals involved but also undermines trust in the institutions meant to protect them.”
Lee added that breaches in the legal sector carry a unique gravity. “Client confidentiality is the cornerstone of legal work. Once breached, it’s not easily repaired.”
The MoJ said it had taken “a number of steps” to reinforce security measures in the wake of the incident. While it declined to specify these measures, officials say the priority remains ensuring the protection of personal and financial data linked to the legal aid system.
For now, legal professionals are left waiting to learn just how deep the breach runs—and whether their clients’ trust has been compromised in the process
