A cyber security incident occurred at Inflite - The Jet Centre, a third-party sub-contractor for the UK Ministry of Defence (MoD), involving unauthorized access to a limited number of company emails. The breach compromised basic personal information—including names, passport details, and Afghan Relocations and Assistance Policy data—of up to 3,700 Afghan nationals relocated to the UK between January and March 2024. The incident also affected former Tory ministers, though the MoD stated it posed no direct threat to individuals' safety nor compromised government systems. This marks the second major breach exposing Afghan nationals’ data, following a prior military leak impacting nearly 20,000 individuals (with up to 100,000 affected indirectly). Inflite reported the incident to the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO), National Crime Agency (NCA), and National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC), confirming the scope was limited to email accounts. The MoD proactively notified all potentially affected parties, emphasizing compliance beyond legal obligations.
TPRM report: https://www.rankiteo.com/company/inflite-the-jet-centre-limited
"id": "inf638081725",
"linkid": "inflite-the-jet-centre-limited",
"type": "Breach",
"date": "3/2024",
"severity": "60",
"impact": "3",
"explanation": "Attack with significant impact with internal employee data leaks"{'affected_entities': [{'customers_affected': '3,700 Afghan nationals '
'(directly); former Tory '
'ministers (indirectly)',
'industry': 'Ground Handling/Aviation',
'location': 'London Stansted Airport, UK',
'name': 'Inflite - The Jet Centre',
'type': 'Private Company (Aviation Services)'},
{'industry': 'Defense',
'location': 'UK',
'name': 'UK Ministry of Defence (MoD)',
'type': 'Government Agency'},
{'location': ['Afghanistan (origin)', 'UK (relocated)'],
'name': 'Afghan Nationals Relocated to UK (ARAP)',
'size': '3,700 (this breach); ~20,000 (prior breach)',
'type': 'Individuals'}],
'attack_vector': ['Email Compromise', 'Supply Chain Attack'],
'customer_advisories': ['MoD’s Friday disclosure to 3,700+ individuals'],
'data_breach': {'file_types_exposed': ['Emails containing PII'],
'number_of_records_exposed': '3,700 (this incident); ~20,000 '
'(prior incident)',
'personally_identifiable_information': ['Names',
'Passport Details',
'ARAP Program Data'],
'sensitivity_of_data': 'High (endangers Afghan nationals and '
'families)',
'type_of_data_compromised': ['Personally Identifiable '
'Information (PII)',
'Relocation Program Data']},
'date_publicly_disclosed': '2024-07-XX (Friday in July, exact date '
'unspecified)',
'description': 'Up to 3,700 Afghan nationals relocated to the UK between '
'January and March 2024 had their personal data (names, '
'passport details, and Afghan Relocations and Assistance '
'Policy information) compromised due to a cybersecurity '
'incident at Inflite - The Jet Centre, a third-party '
'sub-contractor for the UK Ministry of Defence (MoD). The '
'breach involved unauthorized access to a limited number of '
'company emails. This marks the second such incident affecting '
'Afghan nationals, following a prior breach exposing ~20,000 '
'individuals (with up to 100,000 impacted indirectly). The MoD '
'notified affected individuals on a Friday in July 2024, '
'emphasizing no direct threat to safety or government systems. '
'Inflite reported the incident to the ICO, NCA, and NCSC and '
'is cooperating with investigations.',
'impact': {'brand_reputation_impact': ['Public apology by Defence Secretary '
'John Healey',
'Media coverage (Sky News, others)',
'Second breach in a series affecting '
'Afghan nationals'],
'data_compromised': ['Names',
'Passport Details',
'Afghan Relocations and Assistance Policy '
'(ARAP) Information'],
'identity_theft_risk': ['High (for Afghan nationals due to '
'sensitive relocation status)'],
'legal_liabilities': ['Potential ICO investigation',
'Super-injunction controversy (prior '
'breach)'],
'operational_impact': ['Notification of 3,700+ individuals',
'Stakeholder communications',
'Investigation coordination with NCSC/NCA'],
'systems_affected': ['Email Accounts (Inflite - The Jet Centre)']},
'investigation_status': 'Ongoing (NCA/NCSC involved)',
'post_incident_analysis': {'root_causes': ['Third-party email security '
'vulnerability',
'Supply chain risk management '
'failure']},
'references': [{'date_accessed': '2024-07-XX',
'source': 'Sky News',
'url': 'https://news.sky.com/story/thousands-more-afghan-nationals-affected-by-data-breach-government-says-13167895'},
{'source': 'UK Parliament (House of Commons Statement)'}],
'regulatory_compliance': {'legal_actions': ['ICO notification',
'Prior super-injunction '
'(controversial)'],
'regulations_violated': ['UK GDPR (potential)',
'Data Protection Act 2018'],
'regulatory_notifications': ['Information '
'Commissioner’s Office '
'(ICO)',
'National Cyber '
'Security Centre '
'(NCSC)']},
'response': {'communication_strategy': ['MoD notifications to affected '
'individuals (Friday disclosure)',
'Public statements by Defence '
'Secretary',
'Inflite’s ICO/NCA/NCSC reporting'],
'containment_measures': ['Limiting scope to email accounts',
'Precautionary stakeholder '
'notifications'],
'incident_response_plan_activated': True,
'law_enforcement_notified': True,
'third_party_assistance': ['National Crime Agency (NCA)',
'National Cyber Security Centre '
'(NCSC)']},
'stakeholder_advisories': ['MoD notifications to affected Afghans',
'Inflite’s communications to key stakeholders'],
'title': 'Data Breach Affecting Afghan Nationals via MoD Third-Party Supplier '
'(Inflite - The Jet Centre)',
'type': ['Data Breach', 'Unauthorized Access', 'Third-Party Incident']}