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LONDON: A UK Ministry of Defense data breach that jeopardized the security of thousands of Afghans was dealt with via “a few unrecorded meetings and a handshake,” an MP has said.
Kit Malthouse described the handling of the incident — which saw the details of Afghans who worked with British forces made available online, prompting a massive evacuation program amid fears that those named in the leak could be targeted by the Taliban — as “alarming.”
The breach, containing 33,000 lines of data, and the subsequent evacuation only became public knowledge two years later after a superinjunction imposed by the government was lifted by a court.
The UK Information Commissioner’s Office, which was made aware of the breach, chose not to launch an investigation at the time.
It has now emerged that the ICO also failed to keep any notes about the decision not to investigate, claiming that this was due to the case involving classified information.
John Edwards, the UK information commissioner, told the science, innovation and technology committee of the House of Commons on Tuesday that the ICO had relied on the “honesty” of the MoD when choosing not to investigate.
Malthouse, a member of the committee, responded: “What you’ve broadly said to us is that it was dealt with a few unrecorded meetings and a handshake. ‘See ya,’ nothing to see here.
“It seems extraordinary to me given the severity and the impact of it ... The picture you’ve painted of the way the ICO handled it seems alarming.”
MP Lauren Sullivan told Edwards: “It sounds like your method of investigation relies a lot on the honesty of the person you’re investigating.”
Edwards replied: “We didn’t investigate. Yes we were relying on honesty. Had we later found we were misled, we could’ve investigated.”
MP Chi Onwurah, the committee chair, said: “When I saw some of the details of the Ministry of Defense data breach, I was astounded that that could be part of government data practice — (a) 33,000-line Excel file, with top-secret information, bandied about like confetti. This is not an individual failure ... It was an institutional failing.”
Edwards said the ICO, which launched an investigation into a smaller MoD breach involving 245 Afghans, lacked sufficient trained staff to deal with issues concerning top-secret information, but added that it was irrelevant as the regulator did not launch an investigation in this case.
“We’re able to investigate top-secret matters. We chose not to because it would’ve tied up resources which would’ve been better used elsewhere,” he said. “We were confident that the ministry was taking it seriously.”

DAKAR: Rebels occupying Twangiza Mining’s gold concession in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) have looted at least 500 kilograms of bullion since May, the company told Reuters, accusing some of its own employees of aiding the theft.
At current prices, the looted gold is worth around $70 million.
The mine is located in South Kivu province, where Rwandan-backed M23 rebels staged a lightning offensive this year that allowed them to seize more territory than ever before. They seized the mine in May.
“With the help of some employees, they transported the first batch of more than 50 kg of gold out in a very short time,” Twangiza Mining said on Monday in a written response to Reuters’ queries about losses since M23 seized the mine.
“Since the occupation, they have obtained at least 500kg of gold and secretly transported it through underground channels,” the company said.
M23 did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
Twangiza Mining, which is headquartered in Congo and describes itself as a Chinese firm, said it lost over 100 kg of gold a month since the takeover, in addition to $5 million worth of equipment and materials.
The company is preparing to file a formal complaint with international arbitration and Congolese authorities, and has declared force majeure, it said.
It accused the rebels of expelling residents, demolishing churches and using Rwandan technicians to extract geological data to resume and expand mining.
“There are more than 150 workers left on site. We cannot get in touch with them,” the company said.
The Rwandan government did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
A drone strike on October 15 destroyed power generation infrastructure at the mine. It is not clear who was responsible for the drone strike.
Fighting in eastern Congo has killed thousands of people and displaced hundreds of thousands this year.
Armed groups have seized several mining sites in the mineral-rich eastern Congo, according to UN investigators.
A UN Security Council briefing last year said M23 rebels were earning around $300,000 monthly from mineral taxes in the coltan-rich Rubaya region.
US President Donald Trump brokered a peace deal between Congo and Rwanda in June as part of an effort to stabilize eastern Congo and bring in Western mining investments.
Rwanda has consistently denied backing M23 rebels, despite repeated allegations from UN experts and regional governments. Qatar has been hosting direct talks between Congo and M23.
The two sides missed an August deadline for a peace deal as part of that process but on October 14, they agreed to a monitoring mechanism for an eventual ceasefire.