THE hackers who targeted a company which makes warrant cards for the Met are thought to be overseas, The Sun can reveal.

       The boss of pass specialists Digital ID in Stockport was sent a ransom demand by crooks from a server abroad last Monday.

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       Th hackers who targeted a company which makes warrant cards for the Met are thought to be overseas Credit: Alamy

       However it took five days for the Met to alert its 47,000 cops and civilian staff.

       Ex-Met commander John O’Connor said: “That is outrageous.”

       The force spent ￡467,587 on the cards and civilian passes, a Freedom of Information request revealed, after security breaches at police buildings.

       Forgery of old-style police IDs by villains for use in robberies and to dupe people into paying Covid fines was also behind the move.

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       The disclosure comes after hackers stole details from the cards produced for the 47,000 cops and civilian staff in the London force.

       Cyber crooks took the photo, name, rank, -vetting status, payroll number and security details from a microchip on the IDs.

       A source said: “The cards were supposed to make all buildings and sites impregnable.

       “But bosses, in their wisdom, outsourced production and the unthinkable happened.

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       “Questions must be asked why such a sensitive task was given to an external firm with clearly vulnerable IT systems.”

       The Met, which used to issue ID at New Scotland Yard, justified the cost of the replacements as “the best use of available technology to protect its officers, staff and the public”.