Supporters of the Royal National Lifeboat Institution (RNLI), a UK-based charity dedicated to saving lives at sea, have been informed that their personal data may have been compromised in a recent cyber-attack. The charity revealed in a letter included with its autumn Lifeboat magazine that the breach involved a third-party company, Beacon CRM, which handles customer relationship management for the RNLI. Beacon CRM advised the RNLI to assume that data stored in its systems had been taken during a cyber-attack that affected around 1,500 charities in late July. However, the RNLI stated there is currently no evidence that the data has been misused, shared, or published. The breach occurred amid rising tensions surrounding the RNLI’s role in rescuing people attempting to reach the UK in small boats. In late August, far-right activists tried to block a road near a lifeboat station in Portsmouth, where two RNLI crews had helped rescue 120 asylum seekers from a dinghy. The incident led to injuries among police officers and sparked backlash against the charity, with some lifeboat crew members being called traitors. Protests also took place at the RNLI’s headquarters in Poole, and the Portsmouth lifeboat station temporarily removed its Facebook page. Volunteers were advised to be cautious about wearing the charity’s branded clothing to avoid potential risks. RNLI vice-president Sir Robin Knox-Johnston strongly criticized the harassment of staff and volunteers, calling it “frankly quite disgraceful.” Despite the intimidation, the charity reported a notable increase in donations. The RNLI emphasized that only a small fraction of its rescue efforts—1.2%—involved small boats in the English Channel last year. Beacon CRM, the company involved in the breach, stated there was no evidence of a targeted attack on the company or any specific customer. The cyber-attacker had reportedly contacted Beacon CRM to say they would delete any data they had taken, ensuring no copies would be retained, sold, or shared. An RNLI spokesperson noted that Beacon CRM works with many charities and organizations across the UK and Ireland. While the exact data accessed or downloaded could not be confirmed, the charity was advised to assume that some information had been taken. At present, there is no evidence that the data of RNLI supporters has been publicly shared or misused. The RNLI continues to monitor the situation closely and urges affected supporters to remain vigilant.