The Army kept sending sensitive emails out by mistake. Now immigrant recruits could be in danger.
Army officials repeatedly sent out out emails containing a spreadsheet of immigrant recruits' names, full Social Security numbers, and enlistment dates to the wrong people between July 2017 and Jan. 2018, The Washington Post reported on Wednesday. The list includes information on 4,200 recruits.
The emails were intended for internal coordination among recruiters, but were instead sent to recruits — not once, not twice, but three times. Per the Post, Rep. Tom Malinowski (D-N.J.), a former human rights official in the Obama administration, said that if the list is ever intercepted by a foreign government such as Russia or China, it could put recruits from those countries in danger, as they could potentially face persecution back home for colluding with a foreign government. There are reportedly 900 names of Chinese Mandarin speakers and dozens of Russian speakers on the list. At the moment, there is no knowledge that any non-U.S. government, let alone a hostile one, has access to the emails.
Still, the data breach now frequently serves as evidence in asylum claims, particularly for Chinese recruits.
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
The Post also notes that, ironically, that among the recipients of the sensitive emails were recruits that the Pentagon considered may "present [an] elevated security risk." Read the full story at The Washington Post.
Create an account with the same email registered to your subscription to unlock access.
Sign up for Today's Best Articles in your inbox
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
Tim is a staff writer at The Week and has contributed to Bedford and Bowery and The New York Transatlantic. He is a graduate of Occidental College and NYU's journalism school. Tim enjoys writing about baseball, Europe, and extinct megafauna. He lives in New York City.
-
'Why would anyone look to the United States as a model?'
Instant Opinion Opinion, comment and editorials of the day
By Harold Maass, The Week US Published
-
Kristi Noem and the politics of puppy killing
Talking Point Revelations in Republican's upcoming memoir may have doomed her political career
By The Week UK Published
-
Death toll in Brazil flooding tops 100
Speed Read The record rainfall is linked to El Niño, which has been exacerbated by climate change
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
Israel proposes two-month pause in Gaza war in exchange for all Hamas hostages
Speed Read Deal doesn't include an agreement to end war, but might be 'the only path that could lead to a ceasefire', said US officials
By Harriet Marsden, The Week UK Published
-
Nato official warns of all-out war with Russia in next 20 years
Speed Read Civilians must prepare for life-changing conflict and mass mobilisation, says military chief
By Harriet Marsden, The Week UK Published
-
Rishi Sunak visits Kyiv to announce £2.5 billion in military support for Ukraine
Speed Read Surprise trip comes amid increased Russian bombardment and escalation of Middle East crisis
By Harriet Marsden, The Week UK Published
-
British warship repels 'largest Houthi attack to date' in the Red Sea
Speed read Western allies warn of military response to Iranian-backed Yemeni rebels if attacks on ships continue
By Richard Windsor, The Week UK Published
-
Israel preparing to flood Hamas tunnels with seawater
Speed Read IDF pumps could drive out terrorists but critics warn of danger to hostages and Gaza water supply
By Harriet Marsden, The Week UK Published
-
Houthi rebels claim Red Sea ship attacks
speed read Iran-backed Yemeni group vows to escalate aggression towards Israel-linked vessels in revenge for Gaza war
By Harriet Marsden, The Week UK Published
-
Israel plans next phase of Gaza war as first hostages released
Speed read After four-day ceasefire 'we will not stop' until destruction of Hamas, says Israel
By Harriet Marsden, The Week UK Published
-
Mob storms Russian airport 'looking for Jews'
Speed Read Plane from Israel surrounded by rioters chanting antisemitic slogans after landing in Russia's Dagestan region
By The Week UK Published