A university student accused of removing the best secret information worth millions of pounds while on a job post with GCHQ pleaded guilty to a serious risk of national security.
While in second place to the agency, Hasaan Arshad, 25, took his job cellphone in a top secrety area and connected the device to a workstation.
He then transferred sensitive data, with the names of Gchq Employees, from a safe computer to the phone before taking it home.
Arshad, the son of a local councilor of Rochdale, Lancashire, allegedly transferred the data to his personal home computer.
Prosecutors said the data is potentially worth millions of pounds and contains an instrument that would “endanger lives”.
On the first day of what a three -week trial would have been, he pleaded guilty to an offense under the Computer Abuse Act 1990, and acknowledged that he had created a significant risk of serious damage to national security.
The 25-year-old man also pleaded guilty to two charges of making immoral images of children. Photo: Dad
Suspect booked ‘Bug Bounty’ selling
After his arrest in 2022, Arshad gave a prepared statement to officers in which he admitted to removing the data, but insisted that he did not intend to give it to anyone else.
“I removed the information from the curiosity to further develop some of the changes I couldn’t complete during my post,” he said.
“I was planning to use my developments when I hopefully returned to my previous team.
“I’m sorry for my actions, and I understand the stupidity of what I did.”
Arshad then told police he understood ‘the possible damage and risk’, but insisted that no one had seen or accessed the sensitive data.
Investigators, after his arrest, found that he used WhatsApp to discuss ‘developed selection’ in the cyberector on May 26, 2022.
He also called the term “bug bounty” – an amount paid for providing a digital error to resolve or create a software issue.
In the chat, Arshad said, “You can get like 10k for simple information leaks.”
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Prosecutor told a previous hearing that the data removed was classified as ‘top secret’ – including names of former colleagues whose anonymity is critical to GCHQ’s safety.
‘Top Secret’ is the classification for the most sensitive information of the government, where compromise can cause widespread loss of life or threaten the safety or economic well-being of the country or friendly countries, according to the Ministry of Justice Security Counseling.
The court also heard that the data removed, a ‘tool’ used by GCHQ, is according to thousands of hours of work and a ‘significant amount’ taxpayer money.
Prosecutors said that if the instrument was compromised, it would “endanger lives”.
Defensive Nina Grahame KC told the court that the plea was made on “on the basis of recklessness in respect of the damage done” rather than harming.
She added that Arshad was 21 when he started his stage, 22 at the time of the offense, and the defense would submit psychiatric and psychological reports before judging in June.
He was released on bail and Mrs. Justice McGowan has ordered a pre -sentence report, but warned him “which does not mean that there will be no sentence.”
Arshad will be sentenced on June 13 at the Old Bailey Court in London. He will also be sentenced for two offenses for making immoral images of children, after which he pleaded guilty in 2023.
As part of the investigation into the GCHQ -data offense, officers found that Arshad 40 “category A images, the worst type and four” category B “sculptures on his Samsung phone.
