Former defence secretary Sir Ben Wallace has told MPs that the Afghan data breach exposed deeper structural problems in how sensitive information is handled during modern military operations. However, he suggested that even improved systems struggle when sensitive intelligence must be blended with open-source and commercially available data. “Nowadays, you often have to blend very sensitive data with open data,” he told MPs, adding that this creates unavoidable vulnerabilities. Beyond Afghanistan, Wallace raised concerns about information security culture across government, saying training had become too fragmented and insufficiently rigorous. The Defence Committee inquiry continues to examine how the Afghan data breach occurred and what reforms may be required to prevent similar failures during future crises.