- Microlise, a cyber-attack focused tracking equipment provider
- British government contractor Serco was affected by the incident
- Prison van tracking devices and panic alarms taken offline
A cyberattack targeting telematics and technology solutions company Microlise has taken its prisoner tracking software offline.
The software is used by outsourcing giant Serco to provide protection for employees and to monitor prisoners and track their whereabouts.
Microlise provides a “seamless ecosystem around remote operator assets” to a number of major companies with truck fleets, and the attack also affected panic alarms in Serco prison vans and express courier DHL, whose fleets lost tracking capabilities.
Outsourced security
Microlise told the London Stock Exchange that it was “working hard to quickly bring affected services back online” in its report of the incident. Crews were allegedly dispatched without proper security for personnel.
Contingency plans outlined by Serco include crews contacting the base every 30 minutes, staff using ‘paper maps and guidance’ and ensuring mobile devices are charged.
“We are aware that one of our subcontractors has been affected by a cyber incident. We have put in place mitigation plans and we have continued to provide uninterrupted guidance to detainees for the Department of Justice,” Serco said.
Microlise has since confirmed that some systems have now been restored and that it has appointed external cybersecurity specialists to fully restore all affected systems.
Serco previously came under scrutiny in 2024 for failing to fit hundreds of prisoners with electronic tags after they were released early as part of Starmer’s plan to reduce overcrowding. This was not the first time Serco had faced criticism, as a previous tagging scandal led to a Serious Fraud Office investigation.
“Serco has a long history of poor performance and negligent behavior in contract tagging and must be held accountable by the Ministry of Justice (Ministry of Justice)” said Andy Slaughter, chairman of the Justice Select Committee.
Serco has a number of government contracts and recently opened Britain’s first ‘smart prison’, HMP Fosse Way. The ‘resettlement prison’ has smart technology such as mobile devices and robust security, including ‘advanced body scanners’ to prevent contraband.
Via Financial times