A Russian-linked group of hackers, which has reportedly obtained hundreds of pages of information about critical sites such as HMNB Clyde, which houses the UK's nuclear weapons arsenal, is believed to have targeted the nuclear weapons arsenal at the naval base.
As reported by the news report, LockBit, a notorious ransomware group claimed to have stolen thousands of documents containing sensitive and highly sensitive national security information, along with information about high-security prisons, in the raid.
The Sunday Mirror reported that there was another high-security target - a GCHQ listening post and the Porton Down chemical weapons lab - that was also targeted. There were 60 incidents reported to the Clyde Naval Base in 2022, up from 16 in 2021, which is an increase of 275% in one year from 16 incidents reported to the base in 2021.
Threat actors aligned with the Russian government have reportedly carried out attacks against the UK's Ministry of Defence (MoD) and made stolen information available on military and intelligence websites online.
The Mirror reports that several UK locations, including a nuclear submarine base, a chemical weapons lab, and a listening post for GCHQ have been targeted by hackers who are targeting the database of Zaun, a company that manages physical security at some of Britain's most secretive locations.
The BBC asked the Ministry of Defense to explain the increase in breaches and to rule out any suggestion that some of these breaches may have been caused by an increase in Russian hacking and cyber-attacks.
A dark web website was then created to post the stolen information.
It is reported in the Mirror that the leaked data can be used to access top-secret websites within the Ministry of Defence, maybe even by criminals.
Zaun was attacked by LockBit, a hacking group that has been responsible for the majority of hacking attacks in the world, last month.
LockBit has been dubbed the world's most dangerous hacking group. Among the most wanted suspects in the gang is Mikhail Matveev, one of the most influential members of the gang.
Since March 2022, there have only been two breaches known to have been recorded, compared with 21 breaches in 2020, 19 incidents in 2019, and 10 incidents in 2018.
A report was released saying that information about the security of the base was leaked online by hackers associated with Russia.
As part of the raid by notorious ransomware group LockBit, the newspaper reported that thousands of pages of data were also stolen, including highly sensitive information regarding high-security prisons as well as information about national security details.
In some studies, security breaches are referred to as incidents such as lost ID cards, the breach of a zone that protects personal electronic devices, general breaches of data protection regulations, misaccounted documentation, and minor security breaches, among others.
An unpatched Windows 7 PC was used to gain access to one of the firm's manufacturing machines and was running software for it when the breach occurred. The vulnerability has been closed and the machine has been removed," the company wrote in a statement.
According to the statement, LockBit was able to gain access to some recently sent emails, orders, drawings, and project files from the company, even though Zaun "does not believe that any classified data has been compromised" or could have been accessible by LockBit.
A cyber-security alert was issued by the UK National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC) about the threat from state-aligned groups to critical national infrastructure (CNI) organizations in the UK in April. The alert warned that groups sympathetic to Russia's invasion of Ukraine were responsible for the emerging threat.
As a result, CNI organizations are strongly encouraged to follow NCSC recommendations when cyber threat levels are heightened because newly emerging groups could launch "destructive and disruptive attacks" with less predictable consequences than traditional cybercriminals, even though these groups may be more likely to launch destructive and disruptive attacks.
In connection with this attack, the UK National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC) has been contacted, along with the Office of the Information Commissioner (ICO) regarding the leak of data. Zaun has not revealed any details about the equipment that was stolen, and any ransom demands that may have been made have not been released by Zaun.
Defending the national security of the country has shown to be a significant concern for Labour MP Kevan Jones, who is a member of the Commons Defence Select Committee. The incident has been described as a huge blow to the infrastructure that supports national security, according to security experts.
The FBI has been monitoring LockBit since 2020, and during this time they have demanded ransom for more than £80 million in a worldwide campaign. It has been reported that three Russian nationals, Rlan Magomedovich Astamirov, Mikhail Vasiliev, and Anatoliy Minakov, have been charged with hijacking LockBit ransomware and have been arrested in the US.
During the attack, Zaun informed the police of the cyber attack and claimed that there was no compromise of classified documents. Several issues regarding security have been declined by the Government, according to the Mirror.
The UK government has put a great deal of emphasis on the significance of the leaked information.
According to security and intelligence expert Professor Anthony Glees, every detail helps hostile actors break through the UK's defenses. The official also stressed that sloppy protocols, particularly those that are applied by suppliers, are a threat to the safety of the nation.
According to Tobias Ellwood, chair of the Senate Defense Committee, there are concerns about how defense establishments will continue to function without the threat of attack, and an increased level of defense against interference backed by Russia needs to be put into place.
