At My Sisters’ House Women’s Centre, protecting the personal information entrusted to us is a responsibility we take extremely seriously.
Unfortunately, we were recently informed of a data security incident involving our database provider, Beacon, and we would like to explain what we know so far, what is being done in response, and how you can help protect yourself.
Please be assured that we are treating this matter with the utmost seriousness, and the safety and privacy of everyone connected to MSH remains our highest priority.
What has happened?
On 3 August 2026, our database provider, Beacon, informed us that it had identified unauthorised access to its systems on 29 July 2026. Beacon has advised that this was caused by compromised login credentials.
As part of its investigation, Beacon has confirmed that copies of its database backups were made. While it has not yet been fully confirmed that data was removed from its systems, the evidence currently available suggests that this is likely.
What information may be affected?
The information MSH stores within Beacon for supporters and volunteers may include:
Name
Contact details
Donation history
Importantly, Beacon does not store financial information such as bank account or payment card details. It also does not hold any client information.
What is Beacon doing?
Beacon has confirmed that it is taking a number of immediate actions, including:
Conducting a full forensic investigation with independent cyber security specialists.
Working with law enforcement agencies and relevant regulators.
Monitoring the dark web for any indication that the data has been shared or sold. At this stage, no evidence of this has been found.
Resetting passwords and strengthening authentication measures on affected accounts.
What are we doing?
Our Executive Team is working closely with Beacon throughout its investigation and has already begun taking additional steps to strengthen our own security.
These actions include:
Working directly with Beacon as further information becomes available.
Strengthening security measures for software connected to the Beacon platform.
Reviewing our own security practices and access controls to further protect the information we hold.
What you can do
Although there is currently no evidence that your information has been misused, we recommend taking the following precautions:
Be cautious of unexpected emails, phone calls or text messages claiming to be from MSH or Beacon.
Remember that we will never ask you to provide your personal details, passwords, bank account information or payment card details by email, text or an unsolicited phone call.
Never share passwords or one-time security codes with anyone who contacts you unexpectedly.
If you receive a message that seems suspicious, please contact MSH directly using our official contact details rather than responding.
We will keep you informed
We recognise the trust that our supporters and volunteers place in us, and we remain committed to protecting your personal information.
We will continue to work closely with Beacon as the investigation progresses and will provide further updates if any new information becomes available.
Thank you for your understanding and continued support.
If you have any questions please contact, Avril Robinson, Chief Executive Officer :