The Ministry of Defence is facing strong criticism for its handling of employee access to sensitive information regarding weapons, ammunition, and explosives. A report from the State Auditors and the National Audit Office of Denmark reveals significant shortcomings in the ministry’s IT security protocols.

The report highlights that “many employees” have access to information within the ministry’s IT systems without a proper assessment of their professional need for such access. This includes details about the quantity and location of weapons.

Furthermore, the ministry is not adequately monitoring who accesses this sensitive information. This lack of oversight raises serious concerns about potential security breaches.

The State Auditors warn that this situation could lead to the conscious or unconscious leaking of information about the Defence’s weapons, potentially enabling espionage, sabotage, or other criminal activities. The “sharp criticism” leveled by the State Auditors represents the second-highest degree of censure on their scale.

The State Auditors recommend that the ministry reassess whether employees with access to weapons information genuinely require it for their professional duties, irrespective of their security clearance.

In response, the Ministry of Defence has stated its commitment to implementing measures to strengthen IT security. Defence Minister Troels Lund Poulsen acknowledged the criticism and stated that he takes it “very seriously”.

Poulsen added that improvements to security are being made as part of ongoing efforts to modernize the Defence’s establishments and IT infrastructure. He emphasized the need for robust protection of military areas and appropriate safeguards for processing sensitive information.

The case was initiated by the National Audit Office of Denmark.