“We were devastated by this attack”
In March 2022, staff emails and phones suddenly stopped working at the large Scottish charity SAMH (Scottish Association for Mental Health). Gigabytes of sensitive charity data had been uploaded to the dark web. This included names, home and email addresses, and passport scans belonging to donors and volunteers.
SAMH had fallen victim to a deadly cyber-attack by the cybercriminal gang RansomEXX.
The impact was considerable – hindering the charity’s efforts to continue supporting those in need. But with online fundraising now firmly at the fore, the effect this had on the charity’s reputation was even greater.
Speaking of the attack, SAMH’s Chief Executive Billy Wilder stressed his disbelief that this had happened to a charity. ‘We are devastated by this attack. It is difficult to understand why anyone would deliberately try to disrupt the work of an organisation that is relied on by people at their most vulnerable.’
Unfortunately, such attacks on charities are not uncommon; third sector organisations are often ‘soft’ targets for criminals.
But why are charities targeted? And what can they do to mitigate against cyber threats and reputational risks?
Download our paper to read more or contact us to find out how we can help keep your charity secure from cyber threats.
About Falanx Cyber
Falanx Cyber is a provider of cyber security services that identifies areas of cyber risk and deliver end-to-end managed services to alleviate those risks. We specialise in Managed Detection and Response (MDR) and Incident Response services from our 24/7/365 Security Operations Centre (SOC) in Reading, UK. Combined with our security testing and advisory services we focus on improving our clients’ cyber resilience, and ultimately enabling them to withstand, cyberattacks.
About SmartDesc
Smartdesc is an IT Service Provider and NCVO Trusted Supplier who specialise in helping charities improve their IT effectiveness. We partner with household names such as Mind, Terrence Higgins, WaterAid and the YMCA to improve their IT systems, cut costs, reduce cyber security risk, and optimise hybrid working via Microsoft 365 and Teams.
