Beth Crackles, chief executive of the charity, has apologised and said swift action was taken.
“At this stage, there is no evidence that supporter information has been published or misused, and we are not aware of any fraud or harm resulting from this incident,” she said in an email to individuals.
“Beacon has confirmed that an unauthorised person gained access to parts of their system and downloaded database back-ups. Beacon is continuing to investigate the incident and assess the potential impact.
“Beacon took immediate steps to secure their systems and contain the incident. They are now continuing to work with specialist cyber security experts and have notified the relevant authorities as part of their ongoing investigation.”
The charity has reviewed the information that may have been affected and any potential risks to individuals.
It has also reported the incident to the Information Commissioner’s Office, Charity Commission and Gambling Commission.
Crackles added in an email to supporters: “We’re very sorry that we are having to contact you in these circumstances. We understand how important it is that your personal information is looked after carefully, and we want to reassure you that we are taking this matter seriously.”
The charity aims to raise £2.5m every year to support NHS hospitals, community healthcare, mental health services and specialist care centres across Sheffield. It funds equipment and medical research that standard NHS budgets cannot cover.
