Covered by 2 outlets — first reported by The Register Security, Oct 30, 11:45 UTC
British intelligence agency misplaced 'thousands' of storage devices, years later still can't say how many
In brief
Thousands of GCHQ storage drives containing sensitive data have been lost for years, and the British signals intelligence agency still cannot explain where they are. According to the Investigatory Powers Commissioner’s Office’s (IPCO) annual report, the missing storage drives have been known to officials for years, and may contain data related to the Investigatory Powers Act (IPA).
From The Register Security's coverage.
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2 outlets, in the order they reported it.
The Register SecurityFirst report
British intelligence agency misplaced 'thousands' of storage devices, years later still can't say how many
Thousands of GCHQ storage drives containing sensitive data have been lost for years, and the British signals intelligence agency still cannot explain where they are.
The Record
British spy agency cannot account for thousands of data storage devices, watchdog says
The Investigatory Powers Commissioner’s Office (IPCO) in its annual report for 2025, published Thursday, said it was “very concerned” and “disappointed with the time it has taken GCHQ to investigate” the issue.