# RNLI hacked as charity faces far-right fury

> The lifeboat charity warns supporters their data may have been stolen in a breach affecting 1,500 charities, as it faces intimidation over migrant rescues.
- Title: RNLI hacked as charity faces far-right fury · the Guardian
- Summary: The lifeboat charity warns supporters their data may have been stolen in a breach affecting 1,500 charities, as it faces intimidation over migrant rescues…
- Keywords: rnli, cyber-attack, beacon crm, data breach, migrant rescues, far-right protests, portsmouth, charities, news, world, hacked, charity
- Source: the Guardian — https://theguardian.com/uk-news/2026/sep/20/rnli-warns-supporters-personal-information-hacked
- Published: 2026-09-20T12:28:57+00:00
- Read time: 1 min
- Topics: rnli, cyber-attack, beacon crm, data breach, migrant rescues, far-right protests, portsmouth, charities, news, world
## RNLI warns of data breach
The Royal National Lifeboat Institution told supporters their name, contact details and records of interactions could have been stolen in a cyber-attack on Beacon CRM, the customer relations company it uses.
## Attack hit 1,500 charities
Beacon CRM advised the RNLI to assume that data held within its systems was taken in a cyber-attack that affected about one thousand five hundred charities in late July.
## No evidence of misuse yet
The RNLI said there was no evidence to date that members' personal data had been misused, shared or published. The breach comes as far-right agitators target the charity over migrant boat rescues.
## Portsmouth station forced to close
On Sunday six September, activists tried to blockade the road to a landing spot where two RNLI crews helped bring a dinghy carrying one hundred twenty asylum seekers to Eastney in Portsmouth. Police officers were injured in clashes.
## Volunteers told to hide uniforms
After the protests, Portsmouth lifeboat station took down its Facebook page and RNLI volunteers across the UK were told they should consider not wearing the charity's branded clothing if they felt it could put them at risk.
## Vice-president condemns abuse
RNLI vice-president Sir Robin Knox-Johnston condemned the intimidation aimed at staff and volunteers, including online and physical abuse, as frankly quite disgraceful. The charity reported a significant boost to fundraising despite calls to stop donating.

> frankly quite disgraceful
## Key takeaway

The RNLI warned supporters their personal data may have been breached in a cyber-attack on Beacon CRM, a customer relations company it uses, amid far-right targeting of the charity over migrant boat rescues.