This is not The Onion: someone accidentally found a USB stick containing no less than 2.5GB of unencrypted data detailing the security systems being used at London's Heathrow Airport.

While it’s not yet clear how come all the data was transferred to this removable drive, a report from the Mirror, who has been handed over the USB stick by the man who found it in the Queen's Park area of London, reveals that the data included everything from the location of CCTV cameras to security patrols, tunnels, and even the route the queen uses to and from the airport.

Furthermore, it appears the stick contained information on the ultrasound radar system being used by the airport to scan the surrounding perimeter and discover any threats such as explosive.

Investigation already under way

Little is known at this point about how the maps, videos and documents labeled as confidential and restricted ended up being copied to a USB stick, but airport officials say an investigation has already started and security hasn’t been compromised in any way.

“We have reviewed all of our security plans and are confident that Heathrow remains secure,” said a spokesperson. "We have also launched an internal investigation to understand how this happened and are taking steps to prevent a similar occurrence in future.

“The UK and Heathrow have some of the most robust aviation security measures in the world and we remain vigilant to evolving threats by updating our procedures on a daily basis.”

There are obviously several scenarios that are being considered right now, and the worst of all is that somebody tried to steal the data for terror attacks or cyberattacks to compromise the security of the airport.

For what it’s worth, Heathrow is one of the largest airports in Europe and the number of passengers exceeds 75 million every year, with more than 80 airlines flying across the world using it as a central hub.