The Ministry of Justice has taken immediate action to guarantee the security of prisons in England and Wales, following the discovery that jail blueprints had been leaked online.
The government official claimed it was aware of a data leak following a Times report that detailed prison blueprints had been shared on the dark web in the last two weeks.
Prison officials believe that organised crime groups are behind the leak in order to help them deliver drugs into prison yards and cells via drones, or even to facilitate an escape.
The locations of cameras and sensors are reportedly included in the plans, and security officials are currently attempting to determine the source of the leak and the potential beneficiaries of the information.
However, the Ministry of Justice did not specify which jails were engaged in the breach.
A Ministry of Justice spokesman stated: "We are not going to comment on the specific detail of security matters of this kind, but we are aware of a breach of data to the prison estate and, like with all potential breaches, have taken immediate action to ensure prisons remain secure.”
Prevention tips
Employ strong passwords: The most common cause of data breaches continues to be weak passwords, which enable attackers to steal user credentials and give them access to corporate networks. Furthermore, people often reuse or recycle passwords across multiple accounts, which means attackers can launch brute-force attacks to hack into additional accounts. As such, use strong passwords that make it harder for cyber criminals to steal credentials. Also, consider using a password manager.
Use multi-factor authentication (MFA): Due to the inherent vulnerability of passwords, users and organizations should never rely on passwords alone. MFA forces users to prove their identity in addition to entering their username and password. This increases the likelihood that they are who they say they are, which can prevent a hacker from gaining unauthorized access to accounts and corporate systems even if they manage to steal the user’s password.
Educate and train employees: Organizations must educate employees on the risks they face online and advise them on the common types of cyberattacks and how to detect a potential threat. They also should provide regular training courses and top-up sessions to ensure employees always have cybersecurity at the top of their minds and that they are aware of the latest threats.
