The European Union Agency for Law Enforcement Cooperation (Europol) has fallen victim to a significant data breach, compromising sensitive internal data and raising concerns about the agency’s cybersecurity measures, Politico reports.
Hackers infiltrated Europol’s internal platforms, including SIRIUS, a central police evidence access point, and the Europol Platform for Experts (EPE), a platform for private messaging and secure information sharing.
The stolen data, which was posted on an online forum frequented by cybercriminal groups, reportedly includes the names and contact information of law enforcement officials, private message exchanges, and potentially classified records.
Europol has acknowledged the breach and is currently assessing the extent of the damage. While the agency maintains that its core systems and operational data remain intact, the compromise of internal platforms and sensitive information highlights potential vulnerabilities and raises questions about Europol’s cybersecurity protocols. The incident comes as Europol faces increasing scrutiny over its data handling practices, following the disappearance of sensitive personnel files last summer.
