Labour data breach: Details on party members and supporters hit by 'cyber incident'

Labour has been hit by a "cyber incident" which could mean the party has lost the data it holds on hundreds of thousands of members, as well as registered and affiliated supporters.

The party said a "significant quantity" of party data was affected, however the exact scope of the breach is not yet clear.

It is not clear whether the party has been the subject of a malicious cyber attack, but it said in a statement that the National Crime Agency and National Cyber Security Centre had been informed.

In any case, Labour said its members should "remain vigilant against suspicious activity", as it advised them to carry out internet safety measures which include being "especially" careful about "suspicious activity, including suspicious emails, phone calls or text messages".

The party said it takes the security of information it holds on its member "very seriously" and is doing "everything within its power to investigate and address this incident".

Labour insisted its own data systems were "unaffected by this incident", but a third party which holds information on its behalf.

A statement on Labour's website said the party is "working closely and on an urgent basis with the third party in order to understand the full nature, circumstances and impact of the incident".

A Labour spokesman said: "On 29 October 2021, we were informed of a cyber incident by a third party that handles data on our behalf.

"The third party told us that the incident had resulted in a significant quantity of party data being rendered inaccessible on their systems."

The spokesman said the data "includes information provided to the party by its members, registered and affiliated supporters, and other individuals who have provided their information to the party".