Hackers access details of 500,000 GAA members

CRIMINALS may try to defraud more than 500,000 GAA members after hackers acquired their personal details from a database.

Servasport Ltd, a Belfast-based company which maintains the GAA’s database, had apologised unreservedly to the organisation after discovering that it had fallen victim to unauthorised access.

The database contained the names and addresses of 501,786 members. It also contained 288,511 of their dates of birth, 107,212 mobile phone numbers, 63,695 home phone numbers and 30,171 email addresses.

In addition, the database stored information on the medical conditions of 544 GAA members.

The GAA said it would be writing to each one of them to state exactly what medical information had been stored on the database.

Information on 167,157 GAA members under 18 was also stored on the database, but it is GAA policy that only their guardians’ details appear alongside their names.

The GAA said it became aware of the security breach on November 19 last when it was informed that disks containing the database had been received by the Office of the Data Protection Commissioner which immediately passed the disk to the GAA.

The Information Commissioners Office in Belfast also received a disk.

The PSNI is conducting an investigation into the breach of security at Servasport Ltd.

The GAA said none of its other IT systems were hacked and the database didn’t contain any of its members’ financial information.

A GAA spokeswoman said the organisation is working closely with the Office of the Data Protection Commissioner and the Information Commissioner’s Office.

It has also engaged Deloitte to undertake an independent review of Servasport and its other GAA IT suppliers.

A spokesman for the Office of Data Protection said there was no evidence to date that the hacked information had been used for identity theft. However, he warned GAA members to be cautious if they receive unsolicited contacts seeking further personal information, particularly via email requests which mention their GAA membership.

The GAA has set up a hotline to deal with members who are concerned about the incident.

The Lo-Call numbers operate from 8am to 8pm daily at 1890 987 807, or 0800 0114787 from the North.

Meanwhile, Irish Hockey is likely to review its working relationship with Servasport.