Data breach crackdown on prison officers
Online searches lead to probe by jail bosses
A PROBE has been launched by jail bosses who believe data breaches by officers could put their colleagues in danger.
One of the most searched for lags on the Irish Prison Service system was David Drumm but now authorities said they need to crack down.
A source said there are audits happening across the organisation as managers seek to shut down curious searches.
They added: “Some of it is driven by curious lads looking up highprofile prisoners but some of it is also to provide information to external people.
“There was a lot of searches done of David Drumm when he was imprisoned and his account was probably audited.
“But it isn’t just that – there are a lot of other prisoner accounts also that have been accessed for reasons that have little to do with normal prison business.”
Sources have said prison authorities have told officers that the reason for these audits is to protect them.
A source explained: “There have been high-profile prisoners in hospital and when they get there the media are there when they arrive.
“There have also been cases where family members have appeared at a hospital – that causes a risk for staff – it is only a matter of time, that there will be a more sinister outcome.
“Prison officers are going to get hurt because of this activity.”
The current hunt for breaches is driven by legislation related to GDPR and new policies have been introduced.
One of the key moments was when a prisoner in Limerick took a case against the IPS after his data emerged in the public domain.
A source said: “In the Garda you must give a reason for checking a particular record and the Prison Service are going to do the same.”
A Prison Service spokesman confirmed an investigation was underway but would not be drawn on the identity of prisoners.
He said: “We have an audit process in place to ensure that all personal data is held securely and only accessed by relevant individuals.”
In the Garda you must give a reason for checking a record SOURCE On PRISON Service Changes