Important Notice

This week, we were unfortunately informed about a data breach affecting Beacon, the third-party system we use to manage our families’ and supporters’ information. Many charities across the UK have been affected, and we understand that this will be concerning for those whose data we store within Beacon.
Beacon has advised its clients and customers to assume that data held within the system may have been accessed by an unauthorised third party.

We are truly sorry that this has happened. The children and families we work with are always at the heart of everything we do, and we pride ourselves on the excellent support and care we provide, and this includes protecting your privacy and personal information.

We don’t yet know the full extent of the incident or exactly what information may have been accessed, but we are in contact with Beacon to establish the facts as quickly as possible. When we have more information, we will be in touch with those affected.

If you have any concerns or questions, please get in touch with us at: admin@wsdcs.org.uk

 

What happened?

On the 29th of July 2026, Beacon became aware of a potential cyber-security incident. They immediately engaged external cyber-security experts to help investigate and secure their systems. Their current understanding is that compromised credentials were used to gain access to Beacon, and copies of database backups were made.

We were informed by Beacon about the data breach on Monday 3rd August.

What information may be involved?

We remain in contact with Beacon to establish exactly what information may have been accessed. Investigations are ongoing and the team are keeping an eye on updates. However, the information currently stored within our Beacon system includes:

• Name

• Postal Address

• Email address

• Phone numbers

• Contact consent

• Child’s name

• Date of birth

• Gender

• Level of hearing loss

• Hearing technology used

• Event attendance records

• Donation amounts

• Gift Aid declarations

 

What are we doing to address the breach?

Protecting your privacy and personal information is extremely important to us. Since being notified of the incident, we have:

• Reviewed the information that may have been affected.

• Assessed the potential risks and changed our login credentials.

• Completed a self-evaluation and filed a report with the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO).

• Continued to monitor developments as Beacon’s investigation progresses.

• Contacted families that may have been affected.

 

What should you do?

At this time, we are not aware of any misuse of your personal information. However, as a precaution, we recommend that you:

• Be vigilant for suspicious emails, calls, or texts claiming to be from West Scotland Deaf Children’s Society or any trusted third-party.

• Be cautious before clicking on links or opening attachments from unexpected emails or texts.

• Never share passwords, verification codes or financial information in response to unsolicited requests.

 

What happens next?

We are committed to keeping you informed and keeping your information secure. If our investigation identifies any further information that may affect you, we will provide an update as soon as possible.

If you have any questions or concerns, please get in touch with the team at admin@wsdcs.org.uk

Please be assured that we are taking this matter seriously and the privacy, safety and wellbeing of those we support remains the number one priority for us. We are incredibly grateful for your continued support and trust in WSDCS, and we would like to sincerely apologise for any worry or concern this incident may cause.