Wiltshire Police 'accidentally' share passwords in data breach

Sensitive police data was ‘unintentionally shared’ to a member of the public, the force has confirmed.

On Saturday, November 8, the Telegraph reported Wiltshire Police had accidentally released sensitive information.

The article reads: “These included the door codes to safe houses for victims of rape and sexual assault, codes to access systems where digital files of evidence are stored and a password for police computers.”

The Telegraph also reported that the Wiltshire Police had launched an investigation into the leak and how it took place.

Police have now confirmed that there was an unintentional sharing of sensitive data to a member of the public.

They added they have taken steps to prevent a recurrence and address security concerns.

According to the Telegraph’s report, the information was released on a document which included, “13 codes and 13 passwords for police systems and buildings, as well as a list of 32 general police “contacts” with a mixture of phone numbers and email addresses for key individuals.”

Details of prison officers working at HMP Erlestoke, HMP Winchester and HMP Isle of Wight were also reportedly leaked.

According to the paper, a source familiar with the breach said: “If this fell into the wrong hands, this could put lots of vulnerable people at risk. It could also lead to evidence being tampered with and cases collapsing. They need to make sure this does not happen again.”

In a statement to the Telegraph, a spokesman for Wiltshire Police said: “We have launched an investigation to understand the circumstances surrounding a suspected leak of information. We will be taking appropriate actions to address any security concerns.”