The **Afghan data breach** involved the unauthorized exposure of sensitive personal data belonging to Afghan nationals, including **QP1 and another claimant (QP2)**, who had worked with or were associated with UK forces during the Afghanistan conflict. The breach led to the **leak of identities, roles, religious affiliations (e.g., Shia/Hazara), and perceived associations (e.g., falsely labeled as a 'spy')**, placing individuals at severe risk of **Taliban retaliation, persecution, or targeted violence**. The UK government’s **Defence Secretary refused relocation assistance** in April 2024, arguing the claimants did not meet the 'highest risk' threshold, despite their vulnerable status.The **judicial review challenge** (dismissed in June 2025) highlighted systemic failures in risk assessment, where **misclassification of high-profile status** and **underestimation of ethnic/religious threats** (e.g., Hazara Shia minority) were central. The breach’s fallout included **legal battles over accountability**, with closed proceedings (e.g., 'Afghan superinjunction') obscuring full transparency. The incident underscores **gaps in post-conflict data protection**, where leaked information directly endangers lives, particularly in regions under hostile regime control. The case reflects broader **governmental negligence in safeguarding at-risk collaborators**, with long-term reputational and humanitarian consequences.
Source: https://freemovement.org.uk/permission-refused-in-newly-published-afghan-data-leak-decision/
TPRM report: https://www.rankiteo.com/company/uk-ministry-of-defence
"id": "uk-4933149101325",
"linkid": "uk-ministry-of-defence",
"type": "Breach",
"date": "4/2024",
"severity": "100",
"impact": "5",
"explanation": "Attack threatening the organization's existence"{'affected_entities': [{'customers_affected': 'Afghan nationals (including QP1 '
'and others; exact number '
'undisclosed)',
'industry': 'Defense/National Security',
'location': 'United Kingdom',
'name': 'UK Ministry of Defence (MOD)',
'type': 'Government Agency'},
{'industry': 'Immigration/Resettlement',
'location': 'United Kingdom',
'name': 'UK Home Office',
'type': 'Government Agency'}],
'data_breach': {'data_exfiltration': 'Likely (implied by risk assessments)',
'personally_identifiable_information': ['Names',
'Religious/Ethnic '
'Background '
'(Shia/Hazara)',
'Potential Role '
'Classifications '
"(e.g., 'spy')"],
'sensitivity_of_data': 'High (life-threatening risk to '
'individuals if exposed in '
'Afghanistan)',
'type_of_data_compromised': ['PII',
'Religious/Ethnic Data',
'Perceived Intelligence '
'Affiliations']},
'date_publicly_disclosed': '2024-07-26',
'description': 'A judicial review case involving a data breach of Afghan '
"individuals' information, where the UK Defence Secretary "
'refused relocation assistance to claimants (QP1 and another) '
'on 29 April 2024, deeming them not high-risk. The decision '
'was challenged on grounds of irrationality in risk '
'assessment, but the court dismissed the claims in June 2025 '
'(R (QP1 & Anor) v Secretary of State for the Home Department '
'& Anor [2025] EWHC 2504). The breach exposed sensitive '
'personal data, including religious/ethnic identities (e.g., '
'Shia/Hazara), leading to perceived risks like '
"misidentification as a 'spy.' The case was initially under a "
'superinjunction, lifted in July 2024.',
'impact': {'brand_reputation_impact': ['High (due to government involvement '
'and national security implications)'],
'data_compromised': ['Personally Identifiable Information (PII)',
'Religious/Ethnic Identity (Shia/Hazara)',
"Perceived Affiliation (e.g., 'spy' "
'misclassification)'],
'identity_theft_risk': ['High (due to exposed PII and sensitive '
'attributes)'],
'legal_liabilities': ['Judicial review challenges (dismissed in '
'2025)',
'Potential future litigation from affected '
'individuals']},
'investigation_status': 'Closed (judicial review dismissed in 2025)',
'lessons_learned': ['High-risk categorization policies must balance '
'individual circumstances with scalable criteria.',
'Superinjunctions can delay transparency but may be '
'necessary for national security cases.',
'Data breaches in conflict zones have severe human rights '
'implications beyond typical cyber risks.'],
'motivation': ['Espionage', 'Targeted Harassment', 'Political'],
'post_incident_analysis': {'corrective_actions': ['Policy refinement for '
'high-risk assessments (as '
'upheld in court).',
'Potential review of data '
'handling in resettlement '
'programs.'],
'root_causes': ['Inadequate data protection for '
'sensitive resettlement records.',
'Policy gaps in risk '
'categorization for Afghan '
'nationals post-withdrawal.',
'Delayed transparency due to '
'superinjunction.']},
'recommendations': ['Review risk assessment frameworks for Afghan '
'resettlement programs to include nuanced threats (e.g., '
'religious/ethnic targeting).',
'Enhance data protection measures for sensitive '
'government databases involving vulnerable populations.',
'Establish clearer communication protocols for breaches '
'with national security dimensions.'],
'references': [{'date_accessed': '2025-06-00',
'source': 'Judgment: R (QP1 & Anor) v Secretary of State for '
'the Home Department & Anor [2025] EWHC 2504 '
'(Admin)'},
{'date_accessed': '2024-00-00',
'source': 'CX1 and MP1 v SSHD [2024] EWHC 892 (Admin)'}],
'regulatory_compliance': {'legal_actions': ['Judicial review (R (QP1 & Anor) '
'v SSHD [2025] EWHC 2504)',
'Dismissed on grounds of rational '
'policy application'],
'regulations_violated': ['UK Data Protection Act '
'2018 (potential)',
'GDPR (potential, if EU '
'citizens affected)']},
'response': {'communication_strategy': ['Superinjunction initially imposed '
'(lifted July 2024)',
'Open judgment published in 2025'],
'remediation_measures': ['Judicial review process',
'Policy rationalization (as per CX1 and '
'MP1 v SSHD [2024] EWHC 892)']},
'stakeholder_advisories': ['UK Government (MOD/Home Office)',
'Afghan resettlement programs',
'Legal representatives of claimants'],
'title': 'Afghan Data Breach and Relocation Assistance Dispute',
'type': ['Data Breach', 'Privacy Violation', 'National Security Incident']}