Key facts
- A UK Ministry of Defence data breach exposed Afghan applicants' details.
- A parliamentary inquiry found the breach to be a "foreseeable systemic failure."
- The inquiry criticized the MoD's handling of the Afghan Relocations and Assistance Policy (Arap) scheme.
- Inadequate tools, procedures, and data protection were cited as reasons for the UK MoD breach.
- A Victorian parliamentary committee investigating cults accidentally emailed survivor addresses.
- The emails were sent to cult members and journalists.
- The committee apologized for the accidental data sharing.
- Recipients were asked to delete the email to mitigate harm to survivors.
A parliamentary inquiry has determined that a data breach by the UK Ministry of Defence (MoD), which exposed the personal details of Afghan applicants, was a "foreseeable systemic failure." The inquiry's report specifically criticized the MoD's management of the Afghan Relocations and Assistance Policy (Arap) scheme. It cited deficiencies in the tools, procedures, and data protection measures employed by the department. The findings point to a significant lapse in safeguarding sensitive information related to individuals seeking relocation.
In a separate incident, a Victorian parliamentary committee investigating cults inadvertently shared the email addresses of anonymous survivors with members of those cults and journalists. The committee has issued an apology for the error. It has requested that all recipients delete the email containing the sensitive addresses. The committee acknowledged the potential for this breach to further traumatize the survivors whose information was compromised.