MoD’s Top Civil Servant to Resign After Afghan Data Breach
Permanent Secretary David Williams will depart this autumn after one of the UK’s largest defence data leaks exposed the identities of British and Afghan personnel.
The Ministry of Defence has announced that Permanent Secretary David Williams will step down this autumn after one of the UK’s most severe data breaches exposed sensitive personnel records.
The breach, which occurred in February 2022, involved an accidental email from UK Special Forces headquarters containing a spreadsheet with personal details of nearly 19,000 Afghans seeking refuge, as well as information on over 100 British service members and intelligence officers. The error went undetected for months and was subject to a super-injunction until this summer.
Impact and Inquiry
The leak jeopardised the safety of British spies, soldiers, and Afghan allies. Parliamentary defence committee chair Tanmanjeet Singh Dhesi has acknowledged Williams’ long service but stressed the need for a full investigation into the lapse. The committee will decide on witnesses and scope in due course.
An MoD spokesperson said: "Since 2021, David Williams has led the department through a period of significant activity, and we thank him for his contribution." Recruitment for his successor is now under way.
This resignation follows one of the UK’s worst data breaches, underlining critical lapses in safeguarding sensitive defence information.
This topic was reported by BBC News.
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