Charity Extern reporting data breach after ransomware attack
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Extern, a charity based in Newtownabbey, Northern Ireland that supports vulnerable groups including the homeless, people with mental health issues, those struggling with addiction, and individuals dealing with the impact of suicide, is reporting a data breach after a ransomware attack.
The breach was first detected on April 12th, 2023, when the charity became aware of the unauthorized release of its data. The compromised data was published on the dark web approximately two weeks prior to the discovery.
Extern has reported the incident to both the Police Service of Northern Ireland (PSNI) and An Garda Síochána. With the assistance of external cybersecurity specialists, the charity undertook efforts to contain and investigate the breach.
The PSNI’s cyber security unit successfully removed the leaked data from the dark web by April 17th. Extern confirmed that no ransom was paid in connection with the attack. The charity is now conducting an urgent review of the recovered data to assess potential risks and determine the extent of the breach.
No details are disclosed about the number of affected individuals or the leaked data.
Extern has reassured service users that its frontline services have not been affected and continue to operate normally. They are committed to completing the review swiftly and will communicate directly with those impacted by the breach.
