At the beginning of this week, our customer relationship management (CRM) provider, Beacon, informed us of a cyber-security incident affecting numerous organisations, that involved unauthorised access to its systems.
Beacon notified us that compromised login credentials were used to gain unauthorised access to its systems. As part of its investigations, Beacon believes copies of database backups were likely accessed and downloaded.
Beacon has secured its systems, immediately engaged external cyber-security specialists and is continuing to investigate the incident.
Why we are talking about this
At this time, Beacon is not aware of the full extent of the data which was included in the security breach. As such, it is possible that the affected data may include:
- Names
- Email addresses
- Postal addresses
- Phone numbers
- Information about individual’s relationship to Dance Umbrella
The data accessed does not include passwords or payment information.
At present, there is no evidence that the personal information has been misused.
What this means for our audiences, customers and supporters
As there is no evidence that the information has been used improperly, and no urgent action needs to be taken. However, as a precaution, we recommend that they:
- Remain vigilant for suspicious emails, telephone calls, texts or correspondence claiming to be from Dance Umbrella or any trusted third party.
- Exercise caution before clicking on links or opening attachments from unexpected communications.
- Never disclose passwords, verification codes or financial information in response to unsolicited requests.
What are we doing?
Beacon has taken immediate steps to secure its systems and prevent further unauthorised access. It has also engaged external cyber security specialists to carry out a detailed forensic investigation and ongoing monitoring.
Dance Umbrella has taken various steps to mitigate the possible adverse effects, including complying with its reporting requirements and securing and revising access to Beacon and its connections with other systems.
We continue to monitor the situation closely and remain in regular contact with Beacon. We will inform you if the situation changes.
We are sorry that this has happened. Please be assured that we treat matters of data security very seriously. Please contact [email protected] should you have any questions or concerns.
Freddie Opoku-Addaie
Artistic Director & Co-CEO
Tania Wilmer
Executive Director & Co-CEO
Jake Ulrich
Chair of the Board of Trustees