Christ Church website restored following cyber incident

Christ Church Swindon’s website was the subject of a cyber incident last week, resulting in unauthorised messages being displayed on the site.

The website was temporarily taken offline while the incident was investigated, and the site was thoroughly checked and cleansed. This work was carried out by our church staff and hosting provider, with appropriate measures taken to address the vulnerabilities identified. The website has now been restored and is back online.

There is no evidence that personal or other sensitive data has been accessed. The website contains several databases with information pertaining to burials and memorials.

There was no demand for money or other form of ransom, and there is currently no indication that the incident was financially motivated.
We are taking the incident seriously and have completed a review to ensure that all appropriate security measures have been put in place.
The incident has been reported to the relevant authorities.

We are sharing this information openly with our congregation and church partners because we believe it is important to be transparent about the incident and the steps being taken in response.

The incident is also a reminder that cyber threats can affect organisations of all sizes and come from a wide range of sources. Christ Church will continue to review and strengthen its digital security as part of our responsibility to protect the church, its congregation and the wider community we serve.

The website is now operating normally.