Orwell Housing Association, a UK-based supported housing provider headquartered in Ipswich, experienced a payroll data breach on August 26, 2025, exposing sensitive information of 853 current and former employees. The breach occurred when an email containing August 2025 payslip data including names, addresses, bank account details, National Insurance numbers, and full payslip information was accidentally sent to an unauthorized individual known to the company. The incident was identified the following day, prompting an immediate report to the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) and activation of internal response protocols.The breach did not affect customer data, but the exposed employee records pose risks of identity theft, financial fraud, or phishing attacks. Orwell Housing has initiated a full investigation, committed to implementing lessons learned to prevent recurrence, and provided affected staff with support guidance. The ICO is currently assessing the reported incident. The company manages 4,300 homes across Suffolk, Norfolk, Essex, and Cambridgeshire, making this a significant internal data exposure event.
Source: https://www.eadt.co.uk/news/25464773.suffolk-based-orwell-housing-association-data-breach/
TPRM report: https://www.rankiteo.com/company/orwell-housing-association
"id": "orw0893108091525",
"linkid": "orwell-housing-association",
"type": "Breach",
"date": "8/2025",
"severity": "60",
"impact": "3",
"explanation": "Attack with significant impact with internal employee data leaks"{'affected_entities': [{'customers_affected': '0 (No Customer Data '
'Compromised)',
'industry': 'Housing/Social Care',
'location': 'London Road, Ipswich, Suffolk, UK',
'name': 'Orwell Housing Association',
'size': 'Manages 4,300 homes across 12 local authority '
'areas',
'type': 'Non-Profit Housing Association'}],
'attack_vector': 'Human Error (Misaddressed Email)',
'customer_advisories': 'Public reassurance that no customer data was '
'affected.',
'data_breach': {'data_exfiltration': 'No (Data Sent to Unauthorized '
'Recipient, Not Stolen)',
'file_types_exposed': 'Payslip Documents (PDF/Email '
'Attachment)',
'number_of_records_exposed': '853 (Current and Former '
'Employees)',
'personally_identifiable_information': 'Yes (Names, '
'Addresses, National '
'Insurance Numbers, '
'Bank Details)',
'sensitivity_of_data': 'High (Includes Bank Account Details '
'and National Insurance Numbers)',
'type_of_data_compromised': ['Personally Identifiable '
'Information (PII)',
'Financial Data',
'Employment Records']},
'date_detected': '2025-08-27',
'description': 'Orwell Housing Association reported a data breach to the ICO '
'after an email containing August 2025 payslip information for '
'853 current and former employees was inadvertently sent to an '
'unauthorized individual outside the organization. The exposed '
'data included names, addresses, bank account details, '
'National Insurance numbers, and all other payslip details. '
'The breach was identified on August 27, 2025, and immediate '
'containment and investigation steps were taken. No customer '
'data was affected.',
'impact': {'brand_reputation_impact': 'Potential Reputation Risk (Internal '
'Communication to Staff)',
'data_compromised': ['Names',
'Addresses',
'Bank Account Details',
'National Insurance Numbers',
'Payslip Information (August 2025)'],
'identity_theft_risk': 'High (PII and Financial Data Exposed)',
'legal_liabilities': 'ICO Assessment Pending',
'operational_impact': 'Internal Investigation and Response '
'Protocols Activated',
'payment_information_risk': 'High (Bank Account Details Exposed)'},
'investigation_status': 'Ongoing (Full Investigation Underway)',
'lessons_learned': 'Pending conclusion of internal investigation. '
'Recommendations will be implemented to reduce recurrence '
'risk (e.g., email validation protocols, staff training).',
'motivation': 'Accidental (No Malicious Intent)',
'post_incident_analysis': {'corrective_actions': 'Pending investigation '
'conclusions (likely to '
'include email safeguards '
'and staff training).',
'root_causes': 'Human error (misaddressed email to '
'unauthorized recipient).'},
'references': [{'source': 'East Anglian Daily Times'},
{'source': 'Ipswich Star'},
{'source': 'Orwell Housing Association Internal Document (via '
'Media)'}],
'regulatory_compliance': {'legal_actions': 'ICO Assessment Ongoing',
'regulations_violated': 'Potential Violation of UK '
'GDPR (Article 32 - '
'Security of Processing)',
'regulatory_notifications': 'Reported to ICO on '
'2025-08-27'},
'response': {'communication_strategy': 'Direct Notification to Affected '
'Employees, Public Statement via Media '
'(East Anglian Daily Times, Ipswich '
'Star)',
'containment_measures': 'Email Recall/Revocation (Assumed), '
'Investigation Launched',
'incident_response_plan_activated': 'Yes (Internal Response '
'Protocols)'},
'stakeholder_advisories': 'Direct communication to all 853 affected employees '
'with support guidance.',
'title': 'Orwell Housing Association Payroll Data Breach (August 2025)',
'type': 'Data Breach (Unintentional Disclosure)'}