Beacon, a UK charity-focused CRM, announced last week that it had been the target of a cyberattack. The company, that counts numerous cultural institutions among its clients such as Chiswick House and Gardens, the English National Ballet and York Museums Trust, confirmed that copies of database backups were made by an unauthorised third-party and told users to assume all data stored on their website, including attached files, may have been seen and downloaded.
Studio Voltaire and the Foundling Museum are among the organisations that use Beacon; both alerted their supporters, customers and contacts via email and stated that stored information includes full names, postal addresses, email addresses, telephone numbers, membership information relating to dates and level of gifts, and customer information relating to dates and total amount of orders. The data is encrypted but could possibly be decrypted by third parties. Both organisations confirmed the Beacon system does not contain bank account details or payment card information.
The Information Commissionner’s Office (ICO), that assesses risks and provides guidance following cyberattacks, said that ‘We are aware of an incident at Beacon CRM and have received a number of reports from impacted organisations. We are assessing the information provided and are in contact with Beacon Apps Ltd.’
If you would like further advice about protecting your personal information following a data breach, the National Cyber Security Centre has published practical guidance for individuals.
