Scottish Govt Suffers Data Breach at Prosecutor's Office

A contractor has leaked Scottish government employees' personal information, and the full scope of the breach may be far greater than what is currently being reported. The breach affected around 300 individuals, including their names, roles, and work email addresses. An unidentified external supplier experienced a data breach on August 13, which was part of an online data maturity assessment organized by the national government and managed by Data Orchard, a UK-based research company. This assessment was conducted as part of Scotland's Data Maturity Programme, which involves multiple departments participating in various activities and training. The attack likely works by exploiting vulnerabilities in the third-party system administering the assessments, allowing unauthorized access to sensitive information. As of now, it is unclear whether other Scottish government organizations were also affected, but an investigation has been launched into the breach.