back to article Police National Computer not pwned by Clop ransomware crims, insists Home Office

The Clop ransomware gang pwned a managed service provider with access to the UK's Police National Computer, dumping data on its dark web leaks site – but officials deny that police data was compromised. Dacoll, a Scotland-based MSP, was attacked in October by the notorious criminal crew. Reports surfaced in the Mail on Sunday …

  1. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    Dacoll

    That name brings back memories. My first job out of school (mid 1980s) was at the local council, and involved using their new Dacoll PC (green screen text, CP/M and twin 5.25" floppy disks) working on SuperCalc spreadsheets. Those were the days

    1. elDog

      Re: Dacoll

      We really should get back to those days. That would foil those pesky ransomware malfeasants!

      And to be safe, when we're back in those days, pull the plug on the intertubes/arpanet.

  2. Anonymous Coward
    Paris Hilton

    I would like 100 upvotes for Christmas please.

    Nothing to do with article. I just want to feel special.

    1. Eclectic Man Silver badge
      Happy

      Re: I would like 100 upvotes for Christmas please.

      My first Christmas gift. I hope you like it. Don't spend it all at once.

    2. David 132 Silver badge
      Happy

      Re: I would like 100 upvotes for Christmas please.

      I upvoted you. But be aware that my upvote would otherwise have gone to a very worthy post by a starving Guatamalan orphan, who was counting on the additional electrons to buy medicine for his desperately sick grandmother.

      I hope you feel satisfied, you monster.

    3. Chris G

      Re: I would like 100 upvotes for Christmas please.

      I have upvoted you but the vote will only become active if you stand in a bowl of custard facing East while singing Des O'Connor's Dick A Dum Dum, for Christmas.

      1. David 132 Silver badge

        Re: I would like 100 upvotes for Christmas please.

        >the vote will only become active if you stand in a bowl of custard facing East while singing Des O'Connor's Dick A Dum Dum, for Christmas.

        Ah, the old Christmas traditions are the best, aren't they? wipes away sentimental tear

    4. Trigonoceps occipitalis

      Re: I would like 100 upvotes for Christmas please.

      Hi, I have 38 million upvotes after my uncle, Mr Delfango, was killed in a car crash. If you help me out by allowing me to use your Register account to regularise them you can have 10%.

      Send details by email: 419@gmail.com.ng

    5. Blofeld's Cat
      Thumb Up

      Re: I would like 100 upvotes for Christmas please.

      Upvoted on the grounds of sheer brazen cheek.

    6. BackToTheFuture

      Re: I would like 100 upvotes for Christmas please.

      You can have a very special and unique collectors' upvote from me in the form of an NFT purchased with the shortly to be issued RegisterCoin. $350,000 worth should do it.

    7. Santa from Exeter
      Childcatcher

      Re: I would like 100 upvotes for Christmas please.

      Downvoted. Bah Humbug.

      -> Closest thing to Scrooge

    8. This post has been deleted by its author

  3. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    Having recently come out of a contract with them, LOL

  4. Yet Another Anonymous coward Silver badge

    No data was obtained by hackers

    If you want access to police data you have to buy it from a copper like any other journalist ( unless you're a funny handshake pal)

  5. A Nother Handle
    Paris Hilton

    3

    The number of paragraphs I read before I worked out that Dacoll isn't a Member of the Scottish Parliament. I thought it was rude of the Reg to omit their first name, then I thought maybe they're like Madonna or Rylan.

    1. Robert Carnegie Silver badge

      Re: 3

      Yes, that's what MSP means in Scotland, Reg.

  6. Slx

    Is it just me? Or does the name make sound like they have just have one computer, probably called something like MAVIS Mark 1, sitting in some 1950s basement being programmed using punch cards and patch cords?

    1. katrinab Silver badge
      Trollface

      No, it is way more modern than that. It is a Fujitsu BS2000, which was released in 1975.

  7. Frank Bitterlich

    So "only" ANPR data....

    ... then how did they get pictures of passports? From drivers holding them up while speeding to a) hide their face behind them or b) assist with their identification?

  8. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    Hmm, NDI ay? Very interesting as they do make a piece of software to act as a gateway to the PNC which is old, Windows-only and dependant on MS-SQL Server.

    I have to deal with one of their competitors that supplies a similar product; also Windows-only but based on Oracle and it's an awful pile of junk that's around 15 years old and full of bugs and security holes that they refuse to accept as problems - e.g. incorrectly formed client request throws unhandled exception and crashes the server process, unsalted passwords stored in database using symmetric encryption using an easily retrievable fixed key.

    Obviously the above is another company and another product but people I've spoken to seem to suggest that NDI is a similar story. Certainly they give the impression of sharing the same blasé attitude as their competitor which is that because their software was accredited years ago (by a body that no longer even exists) it somehow remains secure forever and can't be attacked anyway because it will be protected by the firewalls and other infrastructure built around it.

    It does not surprise me one bit that they got pwned.

  9. Pen-y-gors

    How can Plods tell?

    I mean, this hack on the PNC, which may or may not have happened, and if it did (or didn't) would have happened (or not happened) in the past so is nothing to do with the Met. And there's no evidence of anything happening (or not happening), as #BaronessDick has shredded all the logs which might or might not have shown anything. If there was anything to show.

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