GCHQ has apparently lost thousands of storage devices in recent years — and has no idea where any of them are
A recent watchdog investigation into GCHQ confirms missing storage devices are still a problem.
The UK's intelligence and cybersecurity agency, GCHQ, has faced criticism from its own watchdog, the Investigatory Powers Commissioner's Office (IPCO), after failing to account for thousands of lost storage devices. The 2025 IPCO report revealed that GCHQ has lost a significant number of removable storage devices, including USB sticks, external hard drives, and memory cards. While the exact quantity remains unconfirmed, the IPCO estimate suggests the loss is in the thousands, as per GCHQ's own figures.
The watchdog has expressed disappointment over the length of time it took for GCHQ to investigate the issue, which was first brought to their attention several years ago. The problems were raised in the IPCO's 2024 report, where they already acknowledged many of the missing devices were encrypted or required a PIN to access. Despite the technical and practical challenges, the latest report calls for continued senior-level oversight and a new tool to monitor the issue moving forward.
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