A grave data breach has compromised the identities of over 100 British officials, including members of special forces and MI6, according to reports. This incident has not only jeopardized their security but also put thousands of Afghans, who aided British efforts during the two-decade-long war in Afghanistan, in peril of retaliation from the Taliban.
Until recently, the details of this breach were subject to a secrecy injunction that restricted media coverage, but this was lifted by a High Court judge, allowing the public to now understand the scope of the incident. The leaked database included sensitive personal information and case notes of British military personnel, raising concerns about their safety.
The British government admitted on Tuesday that nearly 19,000 Afghans who had collaborated with British forces applied for UK resettlement, and their information was also inadvertently leaked. Many of these individuals are at severe risk of harm or death following possible Taliban reprisals due to their previous associations with British forces.
Reportedly, the breach resulted from an employee within the UK Special Forces headquarters unintentionally sending 30,000 resettlement applications to an external individual, mistakenly believing he was sharing details for just 150 applicants. The leak forced the creation of the Afghanistan Response Route (ARR), a scheme aimed at facilitating the resettlement of those affected, although the individuals impacted were not informed about the breach.
Following the lifting of the injunctions, Defence Secretary John Healey characterized the breach as a "serious departmental error," noting that data losses related to Afghan relocation programs have been a persistent issue. Meanwhile, the shadow defence secretary, James Cartlidge, issued apologies on behalf of the former Conservative administration.
While the Ministry of Defence (MoD) has refrained from disclosing how many Afghans may be endangered as a result of the breach, they assert that security protocols remain intact. Afghan relatives of those identified in the leaked data have expressed their fears concerning the safety of their loved ones still in Afghanistan, prompting heightened concern in light of the Taliban's ongoing search for affected individuals.
In response to inquiries, a spokesperson for the MoD reiterated that it is longstanding policy not to discuss special forces' security but confirmed that measures are diligently taken to safeguard their personnel.
