Hackers have stolen data from charities and community organisations in a cyberattack on Londonderry-based IT company, Evide. Evide manages data for about 140 organisations across the island of Ireland and the UK, including groups that work with victims of sexual crime.

This is another example of how cyberattacks have evolved from being profit or data-driven, to causing maximum disruption. Evide manages huge volumes of sensitive data for hundreds of charities and organisations which gives attackers more leverage and increases the likelihood of a ransom being paid.

The attack will no doubt cause concern among those charities impacted – and those outside of the breach, many of whom are unlikely to have the resources to recover and respond quickly to cyberattacks. Some have already taken proactive steps to minimise risk and I expect we will see others follow suit as they seek to safeguard their customers.

At this stage we don’t know the extent of the attack and what data, if any, has been stolen. But the attack does highlight the huge technology reliance we now have.

We now have such rich, dense, and critical technology interdependencies, that attackers know they can increase efficiency and profitability by compromising the software supply chain. This is why breach containment is now critical – attacks are inevitable, so every organisation needs a breach containment strategy in place to reduce risk, secure sensitive assets and data, and contain threats quickly.