The UK’s Defence Academy reportedly suffered from a cyberattack last year that inflicted significant damage to the institution, says a retired high-ranking officer. Air Marshal Edward Stringer stated that the attack was likely launched by a hostile foreign state such as Russia or China. The breach was detected in March 2021 and the Defence Academy was forced to rebuild its network. According to Air Marshal Stringer, the academy has yet to fully rectify the damage caused during the attack. The Defence Academy teaches thousands of military personnel, diplomats, and civil servants each year.

Air Marshal Stringer stated that the attack could have come from any foreign adversary, even a state-backed group from Iran or North Korea. He reported that there were external agents on the Defence Academy network for nefarious reasons. However, no sensitive information was stored on the academy’s network. The attack was ultimately unsuccessful. Although the Defence Academy could have been used as a backdoor to other Ministry of Defence systems, there were no breaches beyond the school.

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