Important Information About a Data Security Incident

Beacon CRM provides a cloud-based customer relationship management platform to thousands of charities including Murton Trust. We use it to process and store information about those that attend our events, adopt and sponsor animals and are members.

Beacon has informed all charities using its platform that it had experienced a cyber security incident involving unauthorised access to its systems and downloaded information. Beacon has engaged specialist cyber security experts and has investigated the incident.

At present, there is no evidence that information relating to Murton Trust has been published, shared publicly or misused, but it has been confirmed that this information was downloaded during the cyber-attack.

What information might be included?

The information we store within Beacon may include:

• Name
• Postal address
• Email address
• Telephone number

We can confirm that the data does not include payment card details or bank account information, this information is never stored on Beacon.

What steps has Murton Trust taken?

Murton Trust has followed all advice given by Beacon. Staff have reset passwords, renewed third party connections and we have reviewed all data that we store. This incident was not a failure of any of our security measures. The Beacon servers were attacked directly; this means that all organisations that use Beacon will be affected to some lesser or greater degree.

How does this affect me?

You do not need to take any action, but there is a risk that you may receive emails, calls or text messages claiming to be from Murton Trust when they are not. Please remain vigilant and exercise caution.

Remember that Murton Trust will never contact you to request financial information such as credit card or bank account details.

Beacon has advised customers to assume that data stored within their Beacon account, including attachment files, may have been downloaded by an unauthorised third party. We therefore cannot rule out the possibility that information relating to you may have been affected.

At present, we are not aware of any evidence that information relating to Murton Trust has been published, shared publicly or misused.

We understand this news may be concerning and sincerely apologise for any inconvenience caused. While there is currently no evidence that your information has been shared or misused, we will keep you informed of any updates as we receive them.

Thank you for your ongoing support of Murton Trust.

Will I be told if my data was accessed?

We are continuing to work with Beacon to understand the full impact of this incident and will share significant updates as they become available.

However, Beacon has advised that it is unlikely to be able to identify exactly which records were downloaded and has recommended that customers assume all data stored within Beacon, including attachment files, may have been affected.

As a precautionary measure, we are therefore informing individuals whose information may have been involved.

What should I do?

You do not need to take any immediate action. However, we recommend that you:

• Remain vigilant for suspicious emails, telephone calls, text messages or correspondence claiming to be from Murton Trust or another trusted organisation.
• Exercise caution before clicking links or opening attachments in unexpected communications.
• Never disclose passwords, verification codes or financial information in response to unsolicited requests.

Remember that Murton Trust will never contact you asking for financial information such as credit card details or banking credentials.

How can I get in touch with you?

If you have any concerns or questions regarding this incident, please contact Murton Trust using the details below:

Email: murtontrust@murtontrust.org.uk
Telephone: 01307 819491

We appreciate your understanding and apologise for any concern this situation may cause.