Data security incident affecting Beacon, our CRM provider

Last updated: 6 August 2026

We are sharing this update to let our community and supporters know about a data security incident affecting Beacon, the system we use to keep in touch with you. We are sorry to be sharing it, and we want to be open about what happened and what it means.

What happened

Timothy Syndrome Alliance uses a system called Beacon to keep in touch with our community and supporters. Beacon is a CRM, a type of database that many charities use to store contact details. On 3 August 2026, Beacon told us, and everyone else who uses them, that an unauthorised person had accessed their systems and that copies of their database were likely downloaded. This happened at Beacon and has affected many of its customers across the charity sector, not just TSA.

What information may be involved

The information we hold in Beacon is limited to names, email addresses and country, along with records of any donations made. No credit card or payment details were involved, and no health, genetic or medical information is held on Beacon.

What we have done

We have reported the incident to the Information Commissioner’s Office. We have secured our account and reviewed exactly what was held. Beacon is investigating with external cyber-security specialists and is working with the relevant authorities. There is no sign so far that the information has been misused, and there has been no ransom demand.

Staying alert to phishing

As a precaution, we would encourage you to be cautious with unexpected emails, calls or messages, and with any request for personal information, as names and email addresses can be used for phishing. Please do not click links you were not expecting, and remember that we will never ask you for a password or a payment by email.

Questions

If you have any questions or concerns, please email admin@timothysyndrome.org. We will update this page if there is anything further you need to know.