Charlton Athletic Hit by Ransomware Attack, Financial Data Wiped in August 2024
Charlton Athletic disclosed a ransomware attack in August 2024 that erased "significant financial data" from its legacy accounting system, which had been in use since October 2023. The incident, confirmed in the club’s recently filed accounts at Companies House, disrupted financial records and operational activities, though the direct financial impact was reportedly covered by insurance.
The attack occurred on 6 August 2024, targeting the club’s outdated accounting infrastructure. While the breach did not result in direct financial losses thanks to insurance coverage it compounded existing financial challenges. Charlton’s 2023-24 accounts revealed a £14 million loss, a 48% increase from the previous year, with revenue dropping nearly £1 million to £8.81 million.
The club, now under the ownership of SE7 Partners (led by former Sunderland director Charlie Methven) since July 2023, has faced managerial changes, including the appointment of Nathan Jones in February 2024. Despite the cyber incident and financial strain, Charlton currently sits fifth in League One, needing nine points from their last five games to secure a playoff spot.
Source: https://www.bbc.com/sport/football/articles/cj9e3we1y9eo
Charlton Athletic Football Club cybersecurity rating report: https://www.rankiteo.com/company/charlton-athletic-football-club
"id": "CHA1772576628",
"linkid": "charlton-athletic-football-club",
"type": "Ransomware",
"date": "8/2024",
"severity": "100",
"impact": "5",
"explanation": "Attack threatening the organization's existence"{'affected_entities': [{'industry': 'Sports',
'location': 'UK',
'name': 'Charlton Athletic',
'type': 'Football Club'}],
'data_breach': {'data_encryption': 'Data erased (not encrypted)',
'sensitivity_of_data': 'High',
'type_of_data_compromised': 'Financial data'},
'date_detected': '2024-08-06',
'description': 'Charlton Athletic disclosed a ransomware attack in August '
"2024 that erased 'significant financial data' from its legacy "
'accounting system, which had been in use since October 2023. '
'The incident disrupted financial records and operational '
'activities, though the direct financial impact was reportedly '
'covered by insurance.',
'impact': {'data_compromised': 'Significant financial data erased',
'financial_loss': 'Covered by insurance',
'operational_impact': 'Disrupted financial records and operational '
'activities',
'revenue_loss': 'Nearly £1 million drop in revenue',
'systems_affected': 'Legacy accounting system'},
'post_incident_analysis': {'root_causes': 'Outdated accounting '
'infrastructure'},
'ransomware': {'data_encryption': 'Data erased (not encrypted)'},
'references': [{'source': 'Companies House filing'}],
'title': 'Charlton Athletic Hit by Ransomware Attack',
'type': 'Ransomware',
'vulnerability_exploited': 'Outdated accounting infrastructure'}