A major data breach has blown the cover off more than 100 British officials—including MI6 agents and Special Air Service members—while also exposing thousands of Afghan allies to potential Taliban reprisals. The breach, which occurred in February 2022 but was only discovered more than a year later, spilled personal details from a sensitive database meant to help Afghans who supported the UK during its 20-year campaign in Afghanistan, per the BBC.
Almost 19,000 Afghans, many already in danger under Taliban rule, found their information leaked after an employee at UK Special Forces HQ accidentally emailed the entire database of resettlement applications to an individual outside of government instead of just a small portion, per the Telegraph. The government only realized the blunder in August 2023, when parts of the data surfaced on Facebook, posted by an individual in Afghanistan who suggested he could release it all. The Ministry of Defense quietly brought the individual to the UK—a move described by officials as virtual blackmail. Until this week, a "superinjunction" and other restrictions had kept details under wraps.
The breach forced the government to create a covert resettlement program, the Afghanistan Response Route, without alerting those at risk, per the BBC. So far, 4,500 Afghans and their relatives have relocated to the UK, with another 2,400 expected, at a cost of about $1.1 trillion. Defense Secretary John Healey called the mishap "a serious departmental error" and also offered his "sincere apology" for it, per the Guardian. The Ministry of Defense declined to discuss details about those affected, citing security concerns. The Taliban, meanwhile, denies targeting Afghans linked to the leak, but families remain fearful as pressure mounts in Afghanistan.
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