Dyfed-Powys Police confirms cyber attack as staff information may have been compromised
Dyfed-Powys Police has confirmed that a cyber attack identified on 14 September disrupted non-emergency systems and may have exposed staff information. The force says it has found no evidence that public data was accessed.
At a glance
- Identified
- 14 September 2026
- Disrupted
- Non-emergency systems, online and email contact
- Still working
- 999 and 101
- Public data
- No evidence of access, says the force
- Staff data
- Under investigation
- Regulator
- Information Commissioner's Office notified
What happened
Dyfed-Powys Police identified a cyber attack on 14 September 2026. It disrupted non-emergency systems, and online and email contact with the force were temporarily unavailable. Emergency contact through 999 and 101 kept working throughout.
The force first described the incident publicly as “technical difficulties”. Services have since been restored. It is being supported by cyber security specialists, some systems remain under “precautionary measures”, and the Information Commissioner's Office has been notified.
What the force has said about data
The force says its investigation has so far found “no evidence that members of the public's personal data has been accessed or compromised”.
Staff information is a different matter. The investigation into whether it was accessed or compromised is continuing, and the force says it is taking steps to protect that information and will give colleagues advice if it is needed.
What is not yet known
No group has publicly claimed responsibility. Several basic questions remain open.
- Who carried out the attack
- How the attackers got in
- Whether ransomware was involved
- Whether a ransom was demanded
- Which categories of staff information may have been taken
Why this matters
- Carmarthenshire
- Ceredigion
- Pembrokeshire
- Powys
When the information at risk belongs to police officers and staff, the concern goes beyond privacy. Names, roles, home addresses and contact details can create personal safety risks for the people behind them.
Emergency functions are protected. The connected back office becomes the exposure point.
That pattern is showing up across UK public services: the front line keeps running, while the connected systems that hold records about the people doing the work are where the exposure sits.
A service can stay online while the data it retains stays offline.
Historic HR files, vetting records, archived case material and older administrative data are rarely needed day to day. Yet they often sit on the same connected systems as live work.
Offline Secure Storage® keeps those records physically disconnected until there is an authorised reason to reach them. While they are offline, an intrusion into the live network has no path to them. And if live systems are encrypted or altered, there is a clean copy to recover from.
What public bodies should do now
Five steps for any public body. Tick them off as you go.
Breach analysis
