Questions raised over MoD amid data breaches

PoliticsTechnology
19 Jul 2025 • 4:00 PM MYT
The Independent
The Independent

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  • Hundreds of Ministry of Defence data breaches have been revealed, with 569 incidents recorded in 2023-24, an increase from the previous year.
  • One significant breach last year involved the names and bank details of 272,000 staff being compromised after a contractor-operated system was hacked.
  • The MoD was fined £350,000 for a data breach related to the Afghan Relocations and Assistance Policy, which exposed up to 100,000 Afghans and potentially British service personnel to risk.
  • Lord Beamish, chairman of the Intelligence and Security Committee, has questioned why highly sensitive information was stored on low-security systems, expressing concerns about the MoD's data handling.
  • Both the Intelligence and Security Committee and the Commons defence select committee are set to investigate the breaches, with calls for greater accountability and improved data protection measures.

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