The British military has been hit by a total of 4,000 security breaches in four years – and the problem is getting worse.
Mistakes made by senior military staff are behind many of the breaches. Of the five separate incidents every working day in 2013, many were a risk to national security.
A Parliamentary question revealed there were 3,892 'security information incidents' from 2010 to the end of 2013. In 2010 there were 885 security breaches, rising to 1,194 in 2013.
A defence source told the Daily Mirror: 'There are areas of the Ministry of Defence where everything is “secret”. Yet security within these departments is poor.
'Staff are allowed to enter with mobiles. These take pictures and represent a significant risk.'
It was even revealed that senior military officials and Government staff made gaffes that allowed enemies to get hold of classified information.
The breaches comprised of lost laptops and memory sticks, hacking by enemy agencies and even soldiers spreading sensitive information on Facebook and Twitter.
The MoD said: 'the figures relate to incidents in which information has not been fully protected. The MoD treats all breaches of security very seriously.'
Last month it was reported that more than one firearm has gone missing every month from the Ministry of Defence since the Coalition was formed in May 2010, figures reveal.
Overall, some 56 weapons have been lost or stolen over the past four years, the Government admitted following a Freedom of Information request.
Labour has demanded a ‘full investigation’ into how the deadly weapons were lost amid heightened fears over terror attacks on British soldiers following last year's killing of Private Lee Rigby.
