Pay Tel Communications Exposes Sensitive Inmate Data in Major Security Breach

On May 4, 2026, UpGuard researchers found a publicly exposed Azure storage bucket belonging to Pay Tel Communications, revealing 3.4 million documents, including 300,000 driver’s licenses and sensitive inmate communications. This incident follows a ransomware attack by the DragonForce gang on June 15, 2025, which compromised 399 GB of data from 121 detention centers. The data breach affects inmates and their families, as well as correctional officers, with personal and legal documents exposed. Pay Tel has not publicly acknowledged the latest security incident or confirmed whether affected individuals will be notified. The exposure highlights ongoing issues with cybersecurity practices within the corrections industry.

Key Points: • 3.4 million documents, including 300,000 driver’s licenses, were exposed due to misconfigured storage. • The breach follows a ransomware attack in June 2025, indicating ongoing security vulnerabilities at Pay Tel. • Sensitive inmate communications and personal documents were accessible online, impacting inmates and their families.