The defence secretary, Grant Shapps, told MPs on Tuesday that Shared Services Connected Ltd (SSCL) had been breached by a malign actor and "state involvement" could not be ruled out.
Shapps said the payroll records of about 270,000 current and former military personnel, including their home addresses, had been accessed. China has not been openly named by the government as the culprit.
The MoD was told of the hack in recent days but a number of sources said SSCL, an arm of the French tech company Sopra Steria, had become aware of the breach in February.
Sopra Steria did not respond to requests for comment.
One Whitehall insider did not comment on the timeframe but said concern about SSCL being "slow to respond" was among issues being examined by an official inquiry.
It can also be revealed that SSCL was last month awarded a contract worth more than £500,000 to monitor the MoD's own cybersecurity - several weeks after it was hacked.
Officials now believe this contract could be revoked.
Bu hikaye The Guardian dergisinin May 11, 2024 sayısından alınmıştır.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 8,500+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber ? Giriş Yap
Bu hikaye The Guardian dergisinin May 11, 2024 sayısından alınmıştır.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 8,500+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber? Giriş Yap
Mbappé in Madrid, must now live up AIR to his boyhood idols
Europe's best club has finally landed the continent's greatest talent. How it looks on the pitch is another matter
Injury forces Djokovic to withdraw and costs him world No 1 spot
Novak Djokovic, the world No 1 and defending champion, has been forced to withdraw from the French Open because of a torn medial meniscus sustained during his dramatic five-set win against Francisco Cerúndolo, the Argentinian 23rd seed, on Monday.
Scotland's shot at upset against England denied by downpours
The first abandonment of this T20 World Cup came between two countries not unfamiliar with the wet stuff.
Billionaire behind the National Lottery to cut ties with Gazprom
The billionaire owner of Allwyn, the company that runs the national lottery, will sever his last remaining ties with Russia's state-owned energy company Gazprom by the end of this month, more than two years after winning the UK's largest public sector contract.
US issues order limiting number of asylum seekers crossing Mexican border
The White House announced an executive order yesterday that will temporarily shut the US-Mexico border to asylum seekers attempting to cross outside of lawful ports of entry when a daily threshold is exceeded.
'Every reason' to think Netanyahu prolonging war for own gain - Biden
Joe Biden has said there is \"every reason\" to draw the conclusion that Benjamin Netanyahu is prolonging the war in Gaza for his own political self-preservation.
King to take part in cross-Channel events marking 80 years since D-day landings
Rishi Sunak's election campaigning and the king's convalescence from cancer will be put on hold for 48 hours as they join veterans on the south coast of England and in Normandy to mark the 80th anniversary of D-day.
'Super-ATMs' offer lifeline to people in areas without bank branch
The first in a planned wave of \"superATMS\" allowing customers of multiple banks to make cash deposits and free withdrawals have opened for business.
Dior returns to Scotland for first time in 70 years
It is not every Dior show that opens with a skirl of bagpipes, three ways to wear violet tartan and a sporran in place of a clutch bag.
Cyber-attack disrupts seven NHS hospitals in London
Major London hospitals have had to cancel operations and blood transfusions after being hit by a cyber-attack that led to them declaring it a \"critical incident\".