Hack of Britain's Legal Aid Agency reached records as old as 1978

Stolen records from before 2007

250,000 records

The agency said Wednesday that about 250,000 stolen records predate 2007, although the breach was first said to cover people who applied online since 2010.

What was taken

• Names and dates of birth
• National Insurance numbers
• Financial assessments and bank details
• Crown Court case records
• Some probation data

The stolen data can include names, dates of birth, National Insurance numbers, financial assessments, bank details and Crown Court case records, as well as some probation data.

"Criminals were able to exploit vulnerabilities in the LAA's IT systems and gain access to systems containing personal information."

— Sarah Sackman, UK justice minister

The government says it has no sign the data has been published or shared; the hackers claimed to hold data on more than 2 million people and demanded payment, which Britain refuses to pay.