Oxfam Australia has confirmed that supporter information was unlawfully accessed in a suspected cyber-attack earlier this year. The charity has been investigating the “data incident” since February after a database belonging to it was leaked online. The database was alleged to have contained contact and donor information for about 1.7 million Oxfam Australia supporters, though at the time this was unverified.

<p>Charities can often attract unwanted attention as they can be seen as soft targets where data protection may not be their forte. However, if personal information or even financial information is stored on a website then it must be treated with the utmost protection. Sensitive data such as this leaked into dark web forums can have damaging consequences and potentially lead to follow on phishing emails which potential victims need to be mindful of.</p>