ISOSOC2 Type 1SOC2 Type 2PCI DSSHIPAAGDPR

The Legal Aid Agency provides both civil and criminal legal aid and advice in England and Wales. Our work is essential to the fair, effective and efficient operation of the civil and criminal justice systems. We are a delivery organisation which commissions and procures legal aid services from providers (solicitors, barristers and the not-for-profit sector). The Legal Aid Agency is an executive agency of the Ministry of Justice. It came into existence on 1 April 2013 following the abolition of the Legal Services Commission as a result of the Legal Aid, Sentencing and Punishment of Offenders (LASPO) Act 2012. The Act created the new statutory office of the Director of Legal Casework. The Director will take decisions on the funding of individual cases. Processes have been put in place to ensure the Legal Aid Agency is able to demonstrate independence of decision-making. There will be an annual report published about these decisions.

The Legal Aid Agency A.I CyberSecurity Scoring

LAA

Company Details

Linkedin ID:

the-legal-aid-agency

Employees number:

354

Number of followers:

18,588

NAICS:

5411

Industry Type:

Legal Services

Homepage:

justice.gov.uk

IP Addresses:

Scan still pending

Company ID:

THE_1520505

Scan Status:

In-progress

AI scoreLAA Risk Score (AI oriented)

Between 750 and 799

https://images.rankiteo.com/companyimages/the-legal-aid-agency.jpeg
LAA Legal Services
Updated:
  • Powered by our proprietary A.I cyber incident model
  • Insurance preferes TPRM score to calculate premium
globalscoreLAA Global Score (TPRM)

XXXX

https://images.rankiteo.com/companyimages/the-legal-aid-agency.jpeg
LAA Legal Services
  • Instant access to detailed risk factors
  • Benchmark vs. industry & size peers
  • Vulnerabilities
  • Findings

The Legal Aid Agency

Fair
Current Score
754
Baa (Fair)
01000
3 incidents
0 avg impact

Incident timeline with MITRE ATT&CK tactics, techniques, and mitigations.

NOVEMBER 2025
754
OCTOBER 2025
754
SEPTEMBER 2025
754
AUGUST 2025
754
JULY 2025
754
JUNE 2025
754
MAY 2025
754
APRIL 2025
753
MARCH 2025
753
FEBRUARY 2025
753
JANUARY 2025
753
DECEMBER 2024
753
JUNE 2010
753
Breach
16 Jun 2010 • UK Legal Aid Agency
UK Legal Aid Agency Cyberattack

The UK Legal Aid Agency suffered a major cyberattack, resulting in the theft of significant sensitive data, including criminal records dating back to 2010. The attack is believed to have stolen a substantial amount of data, potentially affecting 2.1 million records. The stolen data includes highly sensitive personal details of legal aid applicants, such as contact information, dates of birth, national identification numbers, criminal histories, employment statuses, and financial data. The attack also compromised information related to barristers, solicitors, and various organizations working with the Legal Aid Agency. As a result, the agency's online digital services have been taken offline.

607
critical -146
THE858052025
Data Breach
contact information dates of birth national identification numbers criminal histories employment statuses financial data information related to barristers, solicitors, and various organizations Systems Affected: online digital services Downtime: online digital services have been taken offline
contact information dates of birth national identification numbers criminal histories employment statuses financial data information related to barristers, solicitors, and various organizations Number Of Records Exposed: 2.1 million Sensitivity Of Data: highly sensitive contact information dates of birth national identification numbers
Cyber Attack
16 Jun 2010 • Legal Aid Agency (Ministry of Justice, UK)
Data Breach at UK Ministry of Justice's Legal Aid Agency

Hackers breached the **Legal Aid Agency’s online platform**, accessing and exfiltrating a **massive trove of sensitive personal data** from over **2 million legal aid applicants** (2010–present) in England and Wales. The compromised data includes **full names, contact details, dates of birth, national ID numbers, criminal histories, employment status, and financial records** (debts, payments, contributions). The attackers, engaged in **data extortion**, threatened to **publish the data online**, posing severe risks to vulnerable individuals—such as domestic violence survivors whose safety depends on confidentiality. Despite a **legal injunction** against distribution, the anonymity of the hackers (likely operating from hostile jurisdictions) renders enforcement ineffective. The agency **shut down its online service** to contain the breach, disrupting critical public legal services. The incident underscores systemic vulnerabilities in **non-CNI public services**, where data leaks can have **life-threatening consequences** (e.g., exposed addresses enabling physical harm).

607
critical -146
THE31101331112625
Data Breach Data Extortion
Financial Gain Data Extortion
Contact details (names, addresses) Dates of birth National ID numbers Criminal history Employment status Financial data (contribution amounts, debts, payments) Legal Aid Agency’s online platform Downtime: Legal Aid Agency’s online service taken offline (duration unspecified) Operational Impact: Disruption to legal aid application processing; potential long-term reputational and operational damage to the Legal Aid Agency and MoJ Customer Complaints: Expected (specific numbers not provided) Brand Reputation Impact: Severe (public trust in MoJ and Legal Aid Agency undermined, particularly among vulnerable populations) Legal Liabilities: Potential lawsuits from affected individuals; regulatory scrutiny over data protection failures Identity Theft Risk: High (due to exposure of PII and financial data) Payment Information Risk: High (financial data such as debts and payments compromised)
Incident Response Plan Activated: Yes (MoJ and Legal Aid Agency working with NCSC and NCA) National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC) National Crime Agency (NCA) Law Enforcement Notified: Yes (NCA involved) Legal injunction against data distribution Online service taken offline Bolstering security of systems with NCSC support Public disclosure via MoJ statement Apology from Legal Aid Agency CEO Jane Harbottle Warnings to law firms about compromised financial data Enhanced Monitoring: Likely (implied by 'bolstering security' but not explicitly stated)
Personally Identifiable Information (PII) Criminal history Financial data Employment status National ID numbers Number Of Records Exposed: Over 2 million (claimed by hackers; MoJ did not confirm exact number) Sensitivity Of Data: High (includes criminal histories, financial details, and PII of vulnerable individuals) Data Exfiltration: Yes (hackers downloaded significant amounts of data) Names Addresses Dates of birth National ID numbers Financial details (contributions, debts, payments)
UK GDPR Data Protection Act 2018 (likely) Legal injunction secured against data distribution
Vulnerabilities in public sector digital services can have severe consequences for marginalized populations. Legal injunctions may be ineffective against anonymous, jurisdictionally hostile threat actors. Critical public services (e.g., legal aid) may lack the same resilience as traditional critical national infrastructure (CNI). Proactive law enforcement capabilities are needed to target high-risk data breaches selectively.
Enhance cybersecurity measures for public-facing digital services, particularly those handling sensitive data. Prioritize protection of public services alongside traditional CNI in national cybersecurity strategies. Improve incident response coordination between government agencies (e.g., MoJ, NCSC, NCA). Provide support (e.g., credit monitoring, identity theft protection) to affected individuals, especially vulnerable groups. Conduct a thorough review of the Legal Aid Agency’s data protection practices and third-party risk management.
Ongoing (NCA, NCSC, and MoJ collaborating)
MoJ statement acknowledging the breach and potential impact on legal aid applicants. Recommendations for affected individuals to monitor for identity theft or fraud (implied but not explicitly detailed).
Warnings issued to law firms about compromised financial data. Public apology and updates from Legal Aid Agency CEO Jane Harbottle.
Legal aid applicant data (including criminal histories and financial details) Data Sold On Dark Web: Threatened (publication of data online)
Online service taken offline to prevent further access. Security enhancements implemented with NCSC support. Legal injunction secured to deter data distribution.
Cyber Attack
16 Jun 2010 • Legal Aid Agency (LAA)
UK Ministry of Justice Legal Aid Agency Data Breach

The UK Ministry of Justice (MoJ) confirmed that hackers accessed a **large volume of sensitive personal data** from the **Legal Aid Agency’s (LAA) digital services**, potentially exposing records of **millions of applicants** since 2010. Compromised data includes **contact details, national ID numbers, criminal records, employment status, and financial information** (debts, payments, contributions). The breach was detected on **April 23**, but its full scale—spanning **14 years of legal aid applications**—was only realized on **May 16**. The attack forced the LAA to **shut down its online platform**, disrupting legal aid services for vulnerable individuals (e.g., those facing criminal charges, debt, or family disputes). Authorities, including the **NCSC, NCA, and ICO**, are investigating, while affected users are warned of **fraud, identity theft, and phishing risks**. The breach raises concerns over **UK public sector cybersecurity resilience** and potential **regulatory/legal repercussions** for data protection failures.

607
critical -146
THE4221642112625
data breach cyberattack
contact details addresses dates of birth national ID numbers criminal history employment status financial data (contribution amounts, debts, payments) Legal Aid Agency’s online digital services platform Downtime: Ongoing (platform taken offline as of disclosure) Operational Impact: Legal aid providers unable to log work or receive payments via digital platform; contingency plans implemented for manual processing Brand Reputation Impact: High (loss of trust in government digital services, particularly for vulnerable populations) Legal Liabilities: Potential regulatory action (ICO investigation), legal proceedings for data protection violations Identity Theft Risk: High (exposure of national ID numbers, financial data, and criminal records) Payment Information Risk: Moderate (financial data such as debts and payments exposed)
National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC) National Crime Agency (NCA) Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) Immediate investigation launched Online platform taken offline Security strengthening Contingency plans for manual legal aid processing Multi-agency coordination Public statements by MoJ and LAA CEO Direct outreach to affected individuals (planned) Urgent advisories for applicants (vigilance, password changes, monitoring) Enhanced Monitoring: Strengthened security post-detection
personally identifiable information (PII) criminal records financial data employment status Number Of Records Exposed: Millions (exact number undisclosed; applicants from 2010–2024) Sensitivity Of Data: High (includes national ID numbers, criminal history, financial details) names contact details addresses dates of birth national ID numbers
UK GDPR Data Protection Act 2018 (potential) Legal Actions: Pending (ICO investigation ongoing) Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) notified
Enhance cybersecurity resilience for digital public services Implement real-time monitoring for unusual activity Conduct regular third-party audits of government platforms Improve transparency and communication during incidents Provide long-term support for affected vulnerable individuals
Ongoing (multi-agency investigation by NCSC, NCA, ICO)
Vulnerable individuals (e.g., those with criminal charges, debt, or family disputes) urged to take precautions Direct outreach to affected applicants planned by MoJ/LAA Contingency support for legal aid access during system downtime
Monitor for suspicious activity (emails, calls, messages) Avoid sharing personal details without verification Change passwords for legal aid accounts and linked platforms Check bank accounts and credit reports for fraud
Legal aid applicants' PII and financial/criminal records
Platform taken offline Security bolstered with NCSC assistance Multi-agency review of digital service resilience

Frequently Asked Questions

According to Rankiteo, the current A.I.-based Cyber Score for The Legal Aid Agency is 754, which corresponds to a Fair rating.

According to Rankiteo, the A.I. Rankiteo Cyber Score for October 2025 was 754.

According to Rankiteo, the A.I. Rankiteo Cyber Score for September 2025 was 754.

According to Rankiteo, the A.I. Rankiteo Cyber Score for August 2025 was 754.

According to Rankiteo, the A.I. Rankiteo Cyber Score for July 2025 was 754.

According to Rankiteo, the A.I. Rankiteo Cyber Score for June 2025 was 754.

According to Rankiteo, the A.I. Rankiteo Cyber Score for May 2025 was 754.

According to Rankiteo, the A.I. Rankiteo Cyber Score for April 2025 was 753.

According to Rankiteo, the A.I. Rankiteo Cyber Score for March 2025 was 753.

According to Rankiteo, the A.I. Rankiteo Cyber Score for February 2025 was 753.

According to Rankiteo, the A.I. Rankiteo Cyber Score for January 2025 was 753.

According to Rankiteo, the A.I. Rankiteo Cyber Score for December 2024 was 753.

Over the past 12 months, the average per-incident point impact on The Legal Aid Agency’s A.I Rankiteo Cyber Score has been 0 points.

You can access The Legal Aid Agency’s cyber incident details on Rankiteo by visiting the following link: https://www.rankiteo.com/company/the-legal-aid-agency.

You can find the summary of the A.I Rankiteo Risk Scoring methodology on Rankiteo by visiting the following link: Rankiteo Algorithm.

You can view The Legal Aid Agency’s profile page on Rankiteo by visiting the following link: https://www.rankiteo.com/company/the-legal-aid-agency.

With scores of 18.5/20 from OpenAI ChatGPT, 20/20 from Mistral AI, and 17/20 from Claude AI, the A.I. Rankiteo Risk Scoring methodology is validated as a market leader.