Our DBS administrator APCS has encountered a data breach. This breach has affected many of our parishes, several other dioceses across the country and the national church. This data was accessed from an external software contractor to APCS and not from our own systems which remain secure.
APCS has informed us that information accessed could include names, contact details, national insurance numbers and passport details. Only text information was affected - no documents, images, passwords, or financial details were accessed. We have now contacted those whose data is affected, whose data was held by the diocese itself. APCS has also provided lists of those affected to PCCs where they had provided data directly to APCS, and our PCC contacts are working to contact those affected as soon as possible. If you are worried that you may have been affected, please contact the organisation to which you provided your data (whether that is your PCC or the Diocese) and they will be able to confirm whether you are affected.
If you would find it reassuring, please contact APCS directly to request an update on their investigation and to understand the extent to which individuals in your PCC may have been affected. They can be contacted on enquiries@accesspcs.co.uk or 0343 611 2727.
What We Are Doing
- This incident has been reported to the Information Commissioner's Office
- APCS have confirmed to us that all affected systems have been secured and additional protections implemented
- We are monitoring the situation and will update you if we learn of any specific threats
Recommended precautions
- Stay alert to unexpected emails, calls, or letters that mention personal details about you
- Never give personal information to unsolicited callers, even if they seem to know details about you
- Verify any unexpected contact by calling the organisation directly using their official number
If you have been affected, we would like to offer you a credit monitoring service for a year to help protect you from any attempted identity theft. The national church has arranged a voucher scheme to provide you with access to Experian’s Identity Plus service for a year free of charge. This service helps detect possible misuse of your personal data and provides you with identity monitoring support, focussed on the identification and resolution of identity theft. We strongly recommend that you sign up for the service as it will send you alerts, informing you of any changes to your credit report. These vouchers will soon be available to the diocese to offer to those affected by this data breach. Please contact us at admin@durham.anglican.org or otherwise get in touch with Cuthbert House if you would like us to provide you with a voucher to enable you to access this service.
For general advice:
- Citizens Advice: 0808 223 1133
- Action Fraud: 0300 123 2040
For data protection concerns:
- ICO: 0303 123 1113