Missing unencrypted discs cause of National Lottery Community Fund data breach
Melanie May | 3 August 2021 | News
In an update to its announcement last month of a data breach potentially placing charity data at risk, the National Lottery Community Fund has revealed the cause of the breach to be two missing unencrypted discs.
The two unencrypted disks are identified as being missing from a secure, access-controlled location on the National Lottery Community Fund’s premises, with the organisation so far unable to confirm whether they are lost, stolen or destroyed.
As previously confirmed, the breach relates to data provided to the Fund by UK Portfolio, England funding and Building Better Opportunities customers between September 2013 and December 2019, both by those applying for funds, and existing grant holders supplying information to it at that time. Northern Ireland, Scotland and Wales funding programmes are not affected.
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The data includes contact details (name, address, email and land and mobile numbers), date of birth, bank details (name of bank account, sort code and account number) and the applicant organisation’s address and website.
The Fund has reiterated that this is the first time a data breach has had to be reported to the ICO, and says it is working hard to try to establish more details. If it is able to pinpoint exactly whose information is involved, it says it will contact them.
It is advising anyone concerned about the breach and the safety of their data to call its England Advice Team helpline on 0345 4 10 20 30, or to email da*********@tn**************.uk.
About Melanie May
Melanie May is a journalist and copywriter specialising in writing both for and about the charity and marketing services sectors since 2001. She can be reached via thepurplepim.com.