UK government passwords, NATO files leaked on darknet
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Over 700 UK government passwords, including those from the Ministry of Defense, were leaked on the darknet amid growing fears of cyberattacks on state systems.
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Larry the cat, Britain's Chief Mouser, walks outside 10 Downing Street, in London, Wednesday, September 10, 2025 (AP)
A new cybersecurity report has revealed that hundreds of email addresses and passwords belonging to British government agencies, including the Ministry of Defense, have been leaked on the darknet.
According to The Independent, which cited findings by cybersecurity firm NordStellar, more than 700 credentials tied to nine government domains were exposed over the past year. The breaches reportedly affected several key departments, including the Ministry of Justice, the Department of Work and Pensions, and the Ministry of Defense.
NordStellar, a subsidiary of Nord Security, the company behind NordVPN, found that the Ministry of Justice was the most affected, with 195 leaked passwords. The Department of Work and Pensions followed with 122, while the Ministry of Defense had 111 credentials compromised.
The report further disclosed that cybercriminals attempted to sell classified UK military documents, including materials related to NATO, nine times on the darknet during the same period.
NordStellar warned that the leaks expose “dangerous vulnerability gaps” within the British government’s cybersecurity strategy, describing it as leaving the UK “a prime target for cybercriminals.”
