{"id":59540,"title":"RNLI warns members personal data may have been stolen in cyber attack","publisher":"Stockmark.IT","author":"Stockmark.IT Website","published":"2026-09-21T14:30:28+00:00","modified":"2026-09-21T14:30:28+00:00","canonical_url":"https://stockmark.it/rnli-warns-supporters-their-personal-information-may-have-been-hacked/","markdown_url":"https://stockmark.it/rnli-warns-supporters-their-personal-information-may-have-been-hacked.md","json_url":"https://stockmark.it/rnli-warns-supporters-their-personal-information-may-have-been-hacked.json","category":"Big Data","categories":["Big Data"],"featured_image":"https://i0.wp.com/stockmark.it/wp-content/uploads/2026/09/rnli-warns-members-personal-data-may-have-been-stolen-in.webp?fit=1200%2C800&quality=80&ssl=1","format":"news","language":"en-GB","content":"Supporters of the Royal National Lifeboat Institution have been advised that their personal information may have been compromised in a recent cyber incident. The charity issued a warning to its members following a data raid on a third-party customer relationship management provider. This development occurs against a backdrop of sustained hostility towards the organisation from far-right agitators who object to the RNLI assisting migrants arriving in the United Kingdom by small boat.\n\nIn a letter distributed with the autumn edition of its Lifeboat magazine, the RNLI stated that the breach could have affected names, contact details and records of interactions with the charity. The organisation was informed by its data provider, Beacon CRM, to assume that information held within its systems was taken during a cyber-attack. The Telegraph reported that this specific incident was part of a wider cyber-attack that impacted approximately 1,500 charities in late July. The RNLI noted that there is currently no evidence to suggest that the personal data of its supporters has been misused, shared or published.\n\nThe timing of the data breach warning follows a period of intense targeting of the lifeboat charity. On 6 September, activists attempted to blockade a road leading to a landing site in Portsmouth. At this location, two RNLI crews had assisted a dinghy carrying 120 asylum seekers to Eastney. The incident resulted in clashes that injured police officers. In the days following the event, lifeboat crew members faced abuse, with some being labelled as traitors. Protests were also held at the RNLI headquarters in Poole, prompting the temporary closure of its museum.\n\nIn response to the escalating threats, the Portsmouth lifeboat station removed its Facebook page. Volunteers across the United Kingdom were advised to consider refraining from wearing branded charity clothing if they believed it might place them at risk. Sir Robin Knox-Johnston, the RNLI vice-president, condemned the intimidation directed at staff and volunteers, describing the online and physical abuse as frankly quite disgraceful. Despite calls from far-right protesters to halt donations, the charity reported a significant increase in fundraising activity.\n\nThe RNLI has clarified that only 1.2 per cent of its rescue operations last year involved small boats in the Channel. Specifically, this accounted for 109 callouts out of a total of 9,058. A report published by Beacon CRM earlier this month indicated there was no evidence that the attack was targeted at the company or any specific customer. The cyber-attacker reportedly contacted the firm to indicate that exfiltrated data would be deleted and that no copy would be retained, sold or shared. A spokesperson for the RNLI confirmed that while Beacon CRM cannot specify exactly which records were accessed, it advised all affected organisations to assume their data was taken."}