The Ministry of Justice has revealed it is working with the National Crime Agency and National Cyber Security Centre to investigate a data breach at the Legal Aid Agency.

According to Sky News, the LAA told law firms in a letter last week that it identified a ‘security incident’. The letter said it was possible that financial information relating to legal aid providers had been accessed by a third party. The LAA could not confirm what, if any information was accessed but payment information may have been accessed.

In a statement, a Ministry of Justice spokesperson said: ‘We take any data breach extremely seriously and have already taken action to bolster the security of the legal aid system. 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 ministry said it has taken ‘a number of steps’ to help secure the system as a result of the 'incident'.

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Law Society president Richard Atkinson said it was 'extremely concerning' that members' data may have been breached and the incident demonstrated the need for investment to bring the LAA's 'antiquated IT system' up to date. 

Legal aid firms are 'small businesses providing an important public service', operating 'on the margins of financial viability', so any financial security concerns are the last thing they need, Atkinson added.

Jonathan Lee, cyber strategy director at Trend Micro, a cybersecurity software company, said public and private sector organisations in the legal sector are a ‘prime target’ for cyber criminals because of the valuable personal data they hold.

‘Combined with details about cases and legal proceedings, cyber criminals have a powerful means to extort members of the public with threats to publish their data online if payment demands aren’t made. This is very damaging for the individual and significantly limits the trust they place in the breached organisation - especially in the legal sector, where client confidentiality and trust are paramount,’ Lee said.