'Reckless' intern took secret data at GCHQ

A FORMER GCHQ intern has admitted risking national security by taking top secret data to his home.

- By Emily Pennink

Hasaan Arshad, 25, pleaded guilty to an offence under the Computer Misuse Act on what would have been the first day of his Old Bailey trial.

In 2022 he downloaded data to his phone from a GCHQ work station and then transferred the information to a hard drive at home.

Weeks later Arshad, from Rochdale, Greater Manchester, was arrested and his home was searched.