Cyber attack on the UK National Small-bore Rifle Association exposes member data
- Organization
- National Small-bore Rifle Association
- Exploit
- Hacking
- Industry
- Sports and Recreation
The National Small-bore Rifle Association, the governing body for small-bore rifle and pistol target shooting in the United Kingdom, told members in late April 2023 that its IT systems had been breached and that some member information had been compromised.
In a statement issued on Friday 28 April, the association said the attackers reached legacy servers holding working documents rather than a complete membership database, and that its membership portal was unaffected. The NSRA added that it could not identify exactly who had been affected because it no longer had access to the servers in question. It said all its IT systems were operational and that no funds had been lost.
The disclosure drew attention beyond the usual breach coverage because of who the members are. Firearms are tightly restricted in the UK and command high prices on the black market, and security commentators and police warned that criminals holding names and addresses of licensed gun owners could target their homes.
The National Crime Agency and the South East Regional Organised Crime Unit investigated. The NSRA advised members to change their passwords and to treat unsolicited contact with caution, and said it could not provide further information while the police inquiry continued.