One officer said there were concerns about the names of undercover officers being revealed
Police officers’ personal details have been hacked after a company was targeted in a cyber attack.
The firm in Stockport, which makes ID cards, holds information on various UK organisations including some of the staff employed by Greater Manchester Police (GMP).
The force confirmed it was aware of the ransomware attack.
The hack means thousands of police officers’ names are at risk of being placed in the public domain.
One officer, speaking anonymously to the BBC, said while the names of many officers were publicly available, there was particular concern regarding the identities of undercover officers.
Assistant Chief Constable Colin McFarlane said he understood how concerning the matter was.
“At this stage, it’s not believed this data includes financial information,” he said.
“We have contacted the Information Commissioners Office and are doing everything we can to ensure employees are kept informed, their questions are answered, and they feel supported.
“This is being treated extremely seriously, with a nationally-led criminal investigation into the attack.”
The attack comes just over a month after a major data breach within the Police Service of Northern Ireland.
Surnames and initials of 10,000 police employees were accidentally included in a response to a Freedom of Information request.
The details were then published online before being removed.
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