Staying Safe Online – Information for Supporters
10 August 2026
You may be aware of a cyber security incident at a key supplier to the charities industry in the UK, Beacon. We confirm that we are one of the charities that has been affected by the Beacon incident and that your data was held by us on our Beacon Database.
We are awaiting further information and clarity from Beacon, and at this stage it is unclear whether SCIAF data was involved.
Beacon has engaged cyber security experts and the police and is actively investigating what exact information might have been copied and downloaded from their database.
The information we stored on Beacon includes supporter’s contact details and activity history. However, please rest assured that it does not include passwords, bank or card payment details.
We recognise that this news may be concerning. Protecting personal information is something we take extremely seriously.
Is there anything you need to do?
There is no specific action you need to take
As a sensible precaution and general good practice in our digital era, we recommend being cautious of any unexpected emails, text messages or phone calls asking for personal information or money.
We would encourage all supporters to be extra vigilant in staying safe online, taking special care to ensure that any communications from SCIAF (or other businesses, or charities, you might subscribe to) are genuine. If you receive a communication claiming to be from SCIAF that seems unusual, please contact us directly before responding.
What is SCIAF doing?
As soon as Beacon informed us about the incident, we set into motion our incident response procedures for events like this and took expert advice.
SCIAF has reported the matter to the Information Commissioner’s Office and the charity regulator, we are following all appropriate guidance. We are continuing to monitor the situation closely.
Our commitment to you
We are sorry for any concerns this may raise. Protecting the information that supporters entrust to us is extremely important. Although this incident occurred at one of our valued service providers, we understand that you have placed your trust in SCIAF, and we take that responsibility very seriously.
How to stay safe online
SCIAF advises all supporters to be vigilant online to keep themselves safe. You might want to consider the following:
- Be cautious of unexpected emails, text messages or phone calls claiming to be from SCIAF or another organisation.
- Avoid clicking on links or opening attachments in messages that seem suspicious.
- If you are unsure whether a communication is genuine, contact the organisation directly using contact details you know to be genuine.
Further advice on staying safe online is available at links beneath:
If you have any questions or concerns, please contact the office on 0141 354 5555 or by email at sciaf@sciaf.org.uk . We will be happy to help.
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