Overview

• Hasaan Arshad, a 25-year-old former GCHQ intern, pleaded guilty to an offence under the Computer Misuse Act for transferring top secret data to personal devices, risking national security.
• The sensitive data included GCHQ employee identities and a critical tool, potentially worth millions, which could have endangered lives if compromised.
• Arshad admitted to the breach on the basis of recklessness rather than intent, claiming he acted out of curiosity and did not share the data with others.
• During the investigation, officers discovered 40 'category A' and four 'category B' indecent images of children on his phone, to which Arshad also pleaded guilty in 2023.
• Sentencing for all charges is scheduled for June 13, 2025, with Arshad currently out on conditional bail under restrictions, including a ban on accessing the dark web.