Angling Direct websites closed amid cyber security ‘incident’

Angling Direct detected ”unauthorised activity on its network late on Friday” and said: ”This unauthorised activity shut down the company’s websites and these remain inactive.” Some of Angling Direct’s social media accounts have also been compromised.

Anging Direct has drafted in external cyber security specialists, ”investigations are underway to establish what happened”, and “work continues round the clock to bring the websites back online”.

The retaier said: ”As a precaution, the company has notified the relevant regulators and law enforcement agencies, including the Information Commissioner’s Office in the UK. We are mindful of our obligations regarding data; it is too soon yet to make any determination around the impact this incident has had on personal data, but we will inform any individuals in line with our regulatory obligations should there be a need to do so. Importantly, the Company does not hold any customer financial data as our website transactions are handled by third parties.”

Angling Direct said that “as matters currently stand”, it is not expected that there will be a detrimental impact on underlying trading and it will ”continue to assess any cost exposure that this incident may create”.