(MENAFN) A significant cyber intrusion has compromised the digital security of several UK government agencies, leading to the exposure of hundreds of login credentials.

According to a media outlet, which referenced findings from a recent investigation, the incident has raised widespread concern about the potential for deeper systemic vulnerabilities.

Experts in cybersecurity have cautioned that the breach could endanger public safety and place vital national infrastructure at risk.

The report, issued by NordStellar — a platform specializing in threat exposure tracking on the dark web — revealed that more than 700 email credentials tied to nine separate government domains have been discovered circulating on the dark net within the past year.

These revelations point to a growing pattern of unauthorized access within key governmental sectors.

Among the most severely impacted institutions are the Ministry of Justice, Department for Work and Pensions, and the Ministry of Defense. Alarmingly, the study also identified nine instances where classified materials connected to NATO and UK military operations were allegedly offered for sale online.

Other entities compromised in the breach include the Home Office, the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office, the Department for Transport, UK Parliament, the Department of Health and Social Care, and HM Revenue and Customs.

These departments reportedly experienced exposure of login information over the last 12 months.

According to Vakaris Noreika, the head of product at NordStellar — as quoted by the media outlet — these data leaks could potentially allow malicious actors to infiltrate sensitive digital systems, including police databases, infrastructure control systems, and repositories containing personal information of UK citizens.

Noreika emphasized the urgency of addressing these "serious cybersecurity gaps" without delay.

Cybersecurity expert Gareth Mott, affiliated with the Royal United Services Institute, added that the breach has the potential to deeply affect national defense, diminish public confidence, and inflict damage on the economy, depending on the extent and manner in which the information is exploited.

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