Afghanistan: Details of another MoD data breach emerge

The breach may expose Afghans who worked with British forces

A second data breach in the space of a few days has been uncovered at the Ministry of Defence (MOD), which could potentially compromise the safety of dozens of Afghans.

The individuals whose details were exposed may have been eligible to relocate to the UK under the Afghan Relocation and Assistance Policy (ARAP), says the BBC.

The data breach occurred earlier this month, after the ARAP team sent an email to 55 people. By mistake, the email addresses were made visible to all recipients, rather than being blind-copied to protect their identity.

Under the ARAP arrangement, any Afghans who helped British forces in Afghanistan, such as interpreters, can apply to relocate to the UK.

These people may be put at higher risk if the information falls into the wrong hands. The Taliban is known for being unforgiving when it comes to its treatment of people who worked with the British Army.

"We have been made aware of a data breach that occurred earlier this month by the Afghan Relocation and Assistance Policy team," an MoD spokesperson told the BBC, noting that an investigation has been ordered by the Defence Secretary.

The spokesperson added that 'appropriate measures' have been taken to ensure such incidents are not repeated.

"We apologise to those affected and extra support is being offered to them."

This is the second such breach to come to light. The Defence Secretary, Ben Wallace, told the House of Commons this week that a staff member had been suspended for an earlier breach that saw the email addresses of more than 250 Afghan interpreters (who worked for British forces) exposed by mistake.

The email was sent to interpreters who remain in Afghanistan or have been able to reach other countries. Their email addresses were visible to all recipients and showed names and some associated profile pictures.

Mr Wallace described the breach as "an unacceptable level of service" that had let down thousands of members of the British forces and veterans.

"I apologise to those Afghans affected by this data breach and with Home [the Home Office] we are now working with them to provide security advice," he said.

He added that armed forces minister James Heappey was in the region and was in contact with the neighbouring states to see what more could be done.

The MoD has notified the Information Commissioner's Office (ICO) about the breach.

An ICO spokesperson told the BBC that people expect their personal details to be handled securely, especially where a leak could have devastating outcomes, including possible threat to life.

Former Conservative defence minister Johnny Mercer, who has served in Afghanistan, said he feared many such breaches might surface in coming days.

"I've been concerned from the start as to how these individuals have been treated - the whole thing was such a rush to the door when Kabul fell that these mistakes were inevitable," he said.

"I personally think we've taken out people we really shouldn't have, and failed to bring out the majority of those we should - I think we are only beginning to learn the scale of what has gone on here."