Latest news with #data leak
Times
01-08-2025
- Politics
- Times
Top MoD civil servant to quit amid Afghan data leak fallout
The Ministry of Defence's top civil servant will stand down later this year, amid the fallout from a major data leak that placed up to 100,000 Afghans at risk. David Williams has told staff at the department that he will quit in autumn, with the search for his successor now under way, The Times has learnt. There has been growing pressure on the MoD over its handling of the data leak and the subsequent super-injunction that kept it secret for years. The damaging and potentially deadly military blunder, and the government's efforts to suppress it, only emerged after reporting restrictions were lifted last month. People arrive at RAF Brize Norton after being evacuated from Afghanistan in 2021 CPL WILL DRUMMEE RAF/MOD/CROWN COPYRIGHT/PA UK government officials were left exposed when in February 2022 a soldier inadvertently sent a list of tens of thousands of names to Afghans as he tried to help verify applications for sanctuary in Britain. More than 100 British special forces troops, MI6 spies and military officers were named in the data leak along with the whereabouts of Afghans seeking sanctuary in the UK. Some MPs have demanded accountability in the form of sackings, but John Healey, the defence secretary, refused to say last month whether anybody had lost their job. A Whitehall source said the row had led to 'tensions' between Williams and Healey. Admiral Sir Tony Radakin, the current head of the armed forces, John Healey and Williams An MoD spokesman said: 'Permanent secretary David Williams will step down this autumn and the recruitment process for his successor is under way. 'Since 2021, David has led the department through a period of significant activity, and we thank him for his contribution.'
Sky News
31-07-2025
- Politics
- Sky News
Victims of Afghan data leak receive scam emails offering tens of thousands in compensation, Sky News can reveal
Sky News can reveal that some Afghan data leak victims are being offered £86,000 in compensation, in what appears to be scam mail. The phishing email claims to come from the Ministry of Defence (MoD), offering a "compensation via a cheque", but the MoD has categorically denied any involvement. Sky News is aware that - at the very least - a small number of Afghans whose data were leaked have been sent this email. The true number of recipients could be a lot higher. The data list contained the details of almost 19,000 individuals It asks Afghans to "please take your id documents to verify your identity, otherwise you won't be paid". The news indicates at least some of the names and personal details on the leaked dataset have been seen by the email sender. 2:51 It raises questions about just who now has access to the leaked data of thousands of Afghan Relocations and Assistance Police (ARAP) applicants, and who is behind the phishing attempt. The MoD has confirmed the email is a scam, emphasising the email was not sent by the government. A spokesperson said: "This email has not been sent by the Ministry of Defence or any part of the UK government. "Following the February 2022 data incident under the previous government, we have taken appropriate action in line with the level of risk these individuals faced and will robustly defend against any legal action or compensation claims." The email starts with "OFFICIAL-SENSITIVE PERSONAL". It says: "I am writing to inform you that your case has been properly considered. We are sincerely sorry for the impact the recent data breach has had on you and your family. "As a result we are offering you compensation in the amount of £86,000. You can collect your compensation via a cheque, which can be processed at your local building society. We have shared your detail with bank, please take your id documents to verify your identity, otherwise you won't be paid". It is signed off "Afghan Relocation and Assistance Policy Casework Team, MOD Head Office". There are typos in the email including in the line "we have shared your detail with bank", as well as other scam mail red flags like an urgent call to action regarding payment. It is not clear who the email is from or why it was sent. It comes after the personal information of nearly 19,000 people who applied for the Afghan Relocations and Assistance Policy (ARAP) was released "in error" in February 2022 by a defence official. 0:45 Excerpts from a spreadsheet containing the data were posted anonymously on a Facebook group, before the MoD became aware of the breach in August 2023. It led to the imposition of a super-injunction in September 2023, which blocked all coverage of the leak. Defence Secretary John Healey offered a "sincere apology" on behalf of the government, calling it a "serious departmental error". Some 6,900 Afghans - comprising 1,500 people named on the list as well as their dependents - are being relocated to the UK as part of this programme, on top of the thousands moved here under the ARAP. The MoD said the relocation costs alone, directly linked to the data breach, will be around £850m. It has previously said: "We will robustly defend against any legal action or compensation. The independent Rimmer review concluded that it is highly unlikely that merely being on the spreadsheet would be grounds for an individual to be targeted, and this is the basis on which the court lifted its superinjunction."
The Independent
25-07-2025
- The Independent
Afghans exposed in huge MoD data leak could get thousands in compensation
Afghans whose details were exposed in a huge Ministry of Defence data leak, putting up to 100,000 people at risk, could get thousands of pounds each in compensation. Around 18,700 Afghans had their names and contact information breached when an MoD official emailed a secret database to trusted Afghan contacts in February 2022. The blunder, which was only discovered by the government in August 2023, resulted in some 16,000 Afghans being brought to safety in Britain as part of a covert operation, over fears they would be targeted by the Taliban. The database included details of Afghan applicants to the MoD's resettlement scheme, and the discovery of the leak sparked an unprecedented superinjunction, gagging the press and preventing any discussion of its very existence for nearly two years. Though some 3,700 principal applicants whose data was shared will be given sanctuary in Britain, the rest will not be helped after a government-commissioned review concluded that it was unlikely that 'merely being on the dataset would be grounds for targeting'. Now, hundreds have signed up for compensation claims against the MoD over the breach. One claim is being run by law firm Leigh Day, which represents at least 70 people and is taking on new claimants every day, estimating that their clients could get thousands of pounds each in compensation. Leigh Day partner, Sean Humber, said: "As the injunction was only lifted over a week ago, which is when those affected became aware that their personal data had been disclosed without their knowledge or consent, this claim is still at an early stage. "We expect the level of compensation to be in the thousands, although the exact amount is likely to vary and will probably be higher for those remaining in Afghanistan compared to those that have successfully relocated to the UK." Barings Law, a Manchester-based firm who are also organising a claim, reportedly has over 1,000 clients. Adnan Malik, head of data protection at the firm, claimed that their clients would get 'at least five figures'. Compensation claims often settle before they reach court, but the MoD has already said it will fight 'any legal action or compensation'. It will also not proactively hand out payouts to those Afghans who have been affected, despite offering up to £4,000 each for 265 Afghans impacted by a smaller data breach in 2021. One independent case worker, who supports Afghan resettlement applications, said: 'For people whose details were breached but have no hope of ever being found eligible for resettlement in the UK, a compensation payment will allow them to relocate – whether than be by funding passports and visas to another country, or internally in Afghanistan. 'Whilst the government may argue that we have no obligation to evacuate every family affected by the data breach, there is a duty of care to give them the means to improve the safety of their situation.' Sarah Fenby-Dixon, Afghanistan consultant at the Refugee Aid Network, said: "Compensation money will be useful to families, as many members of the former Afghan security forces feel they can't work for fear of being identified. This applied to both those affected by the leak and those not". A Ministry of Defence spokesperson said: 'These are hypothetical claims, and we will robustly defend against any legal action or compensation. 'The independent Rimmer Review concluded that it is highly unlikely that merely being on the spreadsheet would be grounds for an individual to be targeted, and this is the basis on which the court lifted its super injunction this month.'
The Independent
22-07-2025
- Politics
- The Independent
Radicalisation warning as 1,300 Afghans become homeless in past year
A review into a Ministry of Defence data leak has warned that Afghans evacuated to Britain are at risk of radicalisation due to feeling let down by their new life in the UK. Paul Rimmer, who led the review, highlighted a growing disparity between resettled Afghans' expectations and the reality of stretched UK housing and public services. The warning follows a catastrophic MoD data leak in which the names and contact details of around 18,700 Afghans applying to relocate to Britain were exposed. This breach, discovered in August 2023, led to about 16,000 Afghans being covertly relocated to Britain. Details could only recently be reported after a superinjunction was lifted. The review also revealed that more than 1,300 Afghans have become homeless since July 2023, with initial government estimates that 10 per cent of refugees could face homelessness proving overly optimistic.
Yahoo
20-07-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
UK secretly resettled thousands of Afghans after major data leak raised safety fears
Thousands of Afghans have been secretly relocated to the UK after a data leak by the British military revealed their identities and raised fears that they could be targeted by the Taliban. A dataset containing the details of nearly 19,000 Afghans who had applied to move to the UK after the Taliban takeover of Afghanistan was released in error in 2022, and parts of it were later published online, British Defence Secretary John Healey said on Tuesday. That prompted the previous Conservative government to establish a secret programme to resettle the Afghans — many of whom worked with British forces — and their families. The Afghanistan Response Route, set up in April 2024, was made public on Tuesday after the UK's current Labour government lifted a legal ruling known as a superinjunction that had been obtained by the former government in order to keep the scheme secret. About 4,500 people — 900 applicants and approximately 3,600 family members — have been brought to the UK under the programme, and about 6,900 people are expected to be relocated by the time it closes, at a total cost of £850 million (€979 million). However, the ultimate cost of the incident is expected to be higher as the British government is also facing litigation from people affected by the breach. Healey offered a "sincere apology" for the data breach in a statement to lawmakers in the House of Commons on Tuesday afternoon, and said that he had felt "deeply concerned about the lack of transparency" around the breach. "No government wishes to withhold information from the British public, from parliamentarians or the press in this manner," he said. Related Taliban leader declares Western laws unnecessary in Afghanistan British couple arrested in Afghanistan to be released 'as soon as possible,' Taliban says 'Incredibly serious data breach' The blunder by an unnamed official at the Ministry of Defence (MOD) was a "serious departmental error" and a result of a spreadsheet being emailed "outside of authorised government systems" in early 2022, according to Healey. The spreadsheet contained the details of 18,714 Afghan nationals who had been trying to apply to a British government scheme to support those who helped or worked with UK forces in Afghanistan that were fighting the Taliban between 2001 and 2021. The MoD only became aware of the breach in August 2023, after the excerpts of the database posted on Facebook, according to British media reports. Barings Law, a law firm that is representing hundreds of the victims, accused the government of trying to conceal the truth from the public. "This is an incredibly serious data breach, which the Ministry of Defence has repeatedly tried to hide from the British public," said Adnan Malik, head of data protection at the firm. "It involved the loss of personal and identifying information about Afghan nationals who have helped British forces to defeat terrorism and support security and stability in the region." Related Tens of thousands of Afghans return from Pakistan after deadline Australian whistleblower David McBride loses appeal over Afghan war crimes leak About 36,000 Afghans in total have been relocated to the UK under various resettlement routes since the fall of Kabul in August 2021, according to the ministry of defence. In the summer of 2021, the US decided to lead a withdrawal of western forces — including British troops — from Afghanistan, which allowed the Taliban to seize power. That left tens of thousands of people who had helped the UK and other nations during 20 years of western military presence in the nation at risk of retribution from the Taliban.
