# UK watchdog flags unresolved missing storage drives at GCHQ

_Published Friday, October 30, 2026 at 11:09 AM EDT · Security · Latest · Tier 2 — Notable_

![GCHQ headquarters — Primary](https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/UCPr3fhbGdoAgAVLTweBy8-1920-80.png)

The UK's Investigatory Powers Commissioner's Office has flagged a significant number of missing GCHQ storage drives that may contain surveillance-related data. Commissioner Brian Leveson said the agency still lacks a sufficiently clear account of their scale, location and recoverability, several years after the issue first reached him.

GCHQ acknowledged that its removable-media tracking system had been insufficient and said it had taken corrective steps. The agency has launched a program to locate missing media and plans an automated asset-tracking system before 2027. The contents of the missing drives remain unconfirmed, and Leveson said he would continue monitoring remediation.

## Sources

- [Tom's Hardware](https://www.tomshardware.com/pc-components/usb-flash-drives/intelligence-agency-misplaced-a-very-significant-number-of-removable-drives-storage-media-have-been-missing-for-years-but-exact-number-of-lost-devices-remain-unknown)

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Canonical: https://techandbusiness.org/newswire/eqbeVEotV-F_IBO_a0vqZk
Published: 2026-10-30T15:09:52.787Z
Story chronology: 2026-10-30T13:35:48.000Z
Retrieved: 2026-10-30T17:41:29.872Z
Publisher: Tech & Business (techandbusiness.org)