Data breach in UK puts 250 Afghan interpreters' life at risk, MoD issues apology

The British Ministry of Defence has apologised and initiated an investigation after a data breach that "needlessly put lives at risk" by releasing the email addresses of over 250 Afghan interpreters who worked for British forces.

The detailed information of over 250 former workers seeking evacuation to Britain was accidentally put into an email from the Ministry of Defence asking for an update on their condition.

More than 250 Afghans who collaborated with British forces were copied into the email to all applicants instead of blind copied.

Ben Wallace, the United Kingdom's Defence Secretary, has ordered an immediate probe into a data breach including the email addresses and photographs of Afghan interpreters who served with the British military. The authorities believe there are 900 “credible cases” of Afghan resettlement currently being processed, according to Wallace.

"It is an unacceptable level of service that has let down the thousands of members of the armed forces and veterans. On behalf of the Ministry of Defense, I apologise,” Defence Secretary told the Parliament, AP reported.

Wallace's apology was accepted by the opposition Labour Party, but they claimed actions mattered more than words.

“These Afghan translators assisted our British military, and the government rightfully promised to safeguard them. Ministers must now follow through on their promises,” said politician John Healey, AP reported.

Tobias Ellwood, the chairman of the Defense Committee and a Conservative Party member like Wallace, said: "The Taliban haven't changed; they seek vengeance on anyone who cooperated for NATO." We need to get these interpreters out of here before they are hunted down and killed.

Even though the United Kingdom provided asylum to the majority of interpreters and their families via the Afghan Relocations and Assistance Policy (ARAP) initiative, the final UK flight out of Kabul was on September 4. Then-Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab later revealed that the UK government had no idea how many persons who are entitled to come to the UK have been turned away.

MoD's second big blunder

This is the ministry's second big data breach this year, following the discovery of sensitive records at a bus stop in Kent, England. Earlier in June, at a bus stop in Kent, classified Ministry of Defence documents containing information about HMS Defender and the British military were discovered. The documents, which had nearly 50 pages, were discovered in a soggy heap behind a bus stop in Kent early on June 22. One set of documents discusses contained inputs on how Russia is likely to react to the ship passing through Ukrainian waters off the coast of Crimea. Another had plans for a future UK military presence in Afghanistan after the US-led NATO mission ends.

(With inputs from AP)

Image: Unsplash/Representative Image