A contractor linked to the UK Ministry of Defence has suffered a cyber-attack, exposing personal data of up to 3,700 individuals, including Afghans in the resettlement scheme. The breach at Inflite The Jet Centre Ltd, which provides ground services for flights linked to the MoD and Cabinet Office, affected those who flew into London Stansted airport between January and March 2024.
The leaked data may also include information on civil servants, soldiers on routine exercises, and journalists. The company confirmed that email accounts were accessed and reported the incident to the Information Commissioner's Office, working with the National Crime Agency and the National Cyber Security Centre.
In a statement, Inflite said it had contacted key stakeholders whose data may have been affected. The government noted that the incident was limited to a small number of emails containing basic personal information and posed no threat to individuals' safety or government systems. The data has not been leaked to the dark web.
This is the latest in a series of breaches involving Afghan refugee data. In 2022, a defence official disclosed data of 18,714 Afghans, leading to a superinjunction and later an apology from the Defence Secretary.
