Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how many security breaches have been recorded by the Ministry of Defence in each year since 2010; and what action has been taken following each such breach.

The numbers of security incidents recorded centrally within the Ministry of Defence (MOD) in each of the years in question is set out in the table below. The figures relate to incidents in which information has not been fully protected, including lost documents, missing computer media and possible unauthorised access to classified information. These figures also include incidents which represented a failure of a control but did not result in the loss of any information.

The vast majority of incidents did not have any significant ramifications for Defence security. The apparent increase in incidents is attributed to a progressively increasing readiness to report even minor breaches, not to systematic failings in security protection.

Table Number of Information Security Incidents by Year

The MOD treats all breaches of security very seriously. All reported breaches are subjected to an initial security risk assessment with further action taken on a proportionate basis. We do not maintain central records of the specific action taken following each of the breaches.