Afghan Data Breach: The British data regulator fined the military ministry on Wednesday for a string of email data breaches that revealed the private information of over 265 Afghans who were attempting to emigrate to Britain in the wake of the Taliban’s takeover of their nation.
The Ministry of Defence (MoD) was fined £350,000 by the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) for failing to implement operating procedures that would have guaranteed the secure transmission of group emails to Afghan nationals employed by or affiliated with the British government.
“Those to whom our country owes so much were let down by this deeply regrettable data breach,” Information Commissioner John Edwards stated in the statement.
“There is no justification for failing to protect the privacy of individuals who were at risk of serious injury and retaliation, even though the situation on the ground in the summer of 2021 was extremely difficult and choices had to be made quickl
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UK Defence Ministry Fined for Afghan Data Breach
The British parliament had previously heard an apology from then-Defense Minister Ben Wallace and an investigation into the breach had been opened.
The MoD acknowledged the gravity of the situation, reiterated its apology, and stated that it would provide further information about the steps it was taking to allay the ICO’s worries when the time was right.
On September 20, 2021, the department copied all applicants in an email sent to a distribution list of Afghan nationals eligible for evacuation. As a result, 245 people’s personal information was unintentionally revealed, according to the ICO.
According to the ICO, the MoD’s own investigation uncovered two additional comparable breaches that took place in the same month and compromised a total of 265 email addresses. The material that was released may have posed a threat to life if it had ended up in the hands of the Taliban.
