RNLI warns supporters their personal information may have been hacked

The Royal National Lifeboat Institution (RNLI) has issued a warning to its supporters that their personal information may have been compromised in a data breach. This comes after far-right agitators targeted the charity over its involvement in rescuing migrants attempting to reach the UK via small boats. In a letter accompanying its Lifeboat magazine, the RNLI informed members that their "name, contact details and records of interactions with the RNLI" could have been part of a data raid on a company used for customer relationship management.

Beacon CRM, the company responsible, advised the RNLI to assume that data within its systems had been stolen in a cyber-attack affecting around 1,500 charities in late July. While there is no evidence of misuse, the breach coincides with the RNLI facing opposition from individuals who object to lifeboat assistance for asylum seekers.

Recently, a lifeboat station in Portsmouth temporarily closed due to protests, and activists attempted to blockade a road leading to a landing spot where a dinghy carrying 120 asylum seekers was rescued. The RNLI's vice-president, Sir Robin Knox-Johnston, condemned the intimidation, describing it as "frankly quite disgraceful." Despite the attacks, the charity reported a surge in donations following the incident.

A report by Beacon CRM, the breached company, stated that there was no evidence of targeted attacks on Beacon or specific customers, and the attacker had agreed to delete any exfiltrated data.