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06
Aug
Harrogate orchestra among thousands affected by data breach
Harrogate’s professional chamber orchestra Cuore has said customer information has been leaked as part of a national data breach.
Beacon CRM provides technology services such as fundraising and donor databases for more than 1,000 not-for-profit organisations.
But on Monday (August 3) it informed partner organisations, including Cuore, of the breach. Numerous arts and culture organisations, including English National Ballet, as well as hospital charities, are affected.
Anna Stephenson, chair of trustees at Cuore, emailed supporters today saying there wasn’t currently any evidence of customer data being misused but “some of the personal information stored within our Beacon CRM account may have been accessed by an unauthorised third party”.
Ms Stephenson said the information was limited to names, email addresses, addresses, phone numbers and records of interactions, including payment amounts.
She added:
“No personal banking or payment card details are accessed by or stored on the system, and there is no evidence that the limited information we do hold has been misused, shared publicly, or published online.”
She urged Cuore supporters to be wary of unexpected emails, phone calls or text messages, as well as requests for personal information, passwords or financial details and suspicious email links and attachments.
Ms Stephenson said:
We take the security of your data very seriously. As soon as we were informed of the incident, we reviewed the information held within our database, followed our data breach procedures, and have taken recommended security measures. We have also assessed our regulatory obligations and are seeking further information from Beacon as its investigation continues.
Cyber criminals sometimes use information obtained in data breaches to make phishing attempts appear more convincing. If you receive any communication claiming to be from us that seems suspicious, please contact us directly before responding. We sincerely apologise for any concern this may cause.
Cuore, which was founded in 2024, will open its 2026/27 season at the Royal Hall in Harrogate on November 6.
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