Summary
Parliament's Intelligence and Security Committee (ISC) is starting an inquiry into a data leak that exposed the identities of many Afghans and British military personnel. The breach, which happened in February 2022, was discovered in August 2023 and led to an urgent response, including legal actions and efforts to bring affected individuals to safety in the UK.
Key Facts
- The data leak revealed information about thousands of Afghans and British military officials.
- The ISC is investigating the role of the UK intelligence community in the data loss.
- The data breach involved an email mistake at the UK Special Forces headquarters in February 2022.
- The breach was not discovered until August 2023, when details surfaced online.
- The Ministry of Defence asked for a legal order to prevent news of the leak due to Taliban risks.
- The UK set up a special program to relocate about 7,000 people affected by the leak.
- The ISC is asking for all relevant intelligence documents to review the breach.
- The Ministry of Defence will support the ISC's inquiry and defend against any legal claims.
