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Cyber attack on UK gun owners raises concerns of criminals chasing guns

A cyber attack that targeted UK gun owners has now raised concerns that organised crime groups may come after the victims for their weapons.

user icon Daniel Croft
Mon, 01 May 2023
Cyber attack on UK gun owners raises concerns of criminals chasing guns
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The National Small-bore Rifle Association (NSRA) in the UK was attacked only days ago and has confirmed that member data was compromised.

“This attack has targeted legacy servers that contain working documents, not a full database. At this time, we cannot say exactly who this affects as we have no access to the servers,” it said in a press release.

“We are unable to provide any further information while a police investigation is ongoing.”

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The NSRA also added that it had engaged with the UK’s National Crime Agency (NCA), which is currently investigating the incident, and the threat that it could pose to gun owners across the UK.

The South East Regional Organised Crime Unit (SEROCU) has also been engaged.

The attack has prompted concerns that as the details of gun owners have been compromised, organised crime groups may find and target them in an effort to secure firearms.

With guns being hard to get in the UK due to strict gun laws, they have considerable value on the black market and are desired by criminals.

This is not the first case of cyber criminals targeting gun owners, after a data breach on a website for selling shotguns and rifles occurred last year. The British Association for Shooting and Conservation (BASC), in light of the attack, advised members to take home security seriously, and be wary of potential criminals who may be after their firearms.

Daniel Croft

Daniel Croft

Born in the heart of Western Sydney, Daniel Croft is a passionate journalist with an understanding for and experience writing in the technology space. Having studied at Macquarie University, he joined Momentum Media in 2022, writing across a number of publications including Australian Aviation, Cyber Security Connect and Defence Connect. Outside of writing, Daniel has a keen interest in music, and spends his time playing in bands around Sydney.

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