Force says public data appears untouched, but investigators looking into whether crims grabbed employee information

Dyfed-Powys Police has revealed it was hit by a cyberattack that knocked some of its systems offline, with investigators now trying to establish whether the intruders got their hands on staff data during the break-in.

The Welsh police force said it identified the incident on September 14 and that it caused disruption to some non-emergency systems.

Emergency policing remained operational throughout, according to the force, while its 999 and 101 telephone services were unaffected. Online and email contact were unavailable for a period but have since been restored.

What happened behind the scenes remains less clear. Dyfed-Powys Police said an investigation has been underway since the incident was discovered, with cybersecurity specialists brought in and "precautionary measures" applied to its systems while teams worked to restore services safely.

There’s no indication yet of who was behind the attack, how they got in, or whether ransomware was involved. There is also an unresolved question over what the intruders may have managed to access.

"At this stage, our investigation has found no evidence that members of the public's personal data has been accessed or compromised as a result of this incident," the force said in a statement.

"We are, however, continuing to investigate whether any information relating to our staff may have been accessed or compromised, and are taking all appropriate steps to protect that information, and will provide appropriate advice to colleagues if required."

Dyfed-Powys Police said it has notified the Information Commissioner's Office, although it did not say when the UK data watchdog was informed.

The investigation is being managed by Tarian, the regional organized crime unit covering the three southern Welsh police force areas, through its regional cybercrime unit.

asked Dyfed-Powys Police for more detail about the attack but did not immediately receive a response.

"We understand the potential concern this may cause and want to reassure the public that we have and will continue to take all necessary steps to protect our information and maintain the security of our systems," Dyfed-Powys Police said.

The force says the public's data appears to have escaped the intruders. Whether the same can be said for its staff remains under investigation. ®