Former GCHQ intern jailed for taking top secret files home
A former GCHQ intern has been jailed after he copied top secret data files onto his mobile phone and took them home.
Computer science student Hasaan Arshad, 25, pleaded guilty to one offence of doing an unauthorised act to a computer, creating significant risk of serious damage to national security at the Old Bailey on 31 March 2025.
Having previously undertaken a placement at GCHQ in 2019, Arshad began another Industry Year placement between 6 September 2021 and 26 August 2022.
During this placement he was part of a technical development team, working on highly sensitive matters, which were stored on a top secret network.
On 24 August 2022, Arshad bought his work mobile phone into his workplace and connected it to his development workstation.
He then copied top secret data files onto his mobile phone and removed the device from the facility before transferring it to a computer system at his home.
On 22 September 2022, police executed a search warrant at Arshad’s home address in Rochdale and discovered the top secret data on an external hard drive connected to his home desktop PC.
Unconnected to Arshad’s work at GCHQ, a number of indecent images of children – 40 graded as category A and four of category B, were found on his personal mobile phone. These were made between 7 and 23 September 2022. Arshad pleaded guilty to two counts of making indecent images of children in January 2023.
Arshad was sentenced to seven-and-a-half years' imprisonment at the Old Bailey today.
The prosecution followed an investigation by the Metropolitan Police Service’s Counter-Terrorism Command.
Bethan David, Head of the CPS Counter Terrorism Division, said: “Hasaan Arshad knew his actions were prohibited after he signed the Official Secrets Act and received his induction training.
“His conduct was deliberate and intentional, and represented a flagrant breach of the obvious and necessary rules in place.
“By transferring the top-secret material to his home computer and therefore exposing it to the risks of an unsecure system, Arshad created a significant risk of damage to national security.
“The Crown Prosecution Service will always seek to prosecute anyone that knowingly jeopardises and endangers the safety of our country.”
Notes to editors
- Hasaan Arshad, [DOB: 10/12/1999], is of Rochdale, Greater Manchester.
- On 31 March at the Old Bailey, he pleaded guilty to one offence of doing an unauthorised act in relation to a computer and at the time of doing the act knew that it was unauthorised; and the act caused, or created a significant risk of, serious damage of a material kind, this being damage to the national security of a country, between 23 August 2022 and 23 September 2022, contrary to sections 3ZA(1) and (2) (d) of the Computer Misuse Act 1990.
- On 5 January 2023 at Manchester City Magistrates’ Court, he pleaded guilty to two counts of making indecent images of children, contrary to sections 1(1)(a) and 6 of the Protection of Children Act 1978.
- On 13 June at the Old Bailey, he was sentenced to six years' imprisonment for the computer misuse offence, 18 months' imprisonment for the Category A indecent images offence, to be served consecutively, and 18 months' imprisonment for the category B indecent images offence, to be served concurrently. The total sentence is seven-and-a half years' imprisonment.