- There is currently no timescale for when BHA’s systems will be back to normal
- Marks & Spencer and the Co-op have been targeted by online criminals this year
The British Horseracing Authority (BHA) has been rocked after it became the latest major organisation to fall victim to a cyberattack.
Staff have been told to stay away from Southampton, buildings in Holborn — their central London headquarters — and work remotely while investigations are conducted.
It is understood that the attack happened at the end of last week and there is no timescale on how long it will take their systems to be returned to normal.
The incident has not threatened to stop meetings being staged at courses and no disruption to the fixture list is envisaged at this stage.
The incident currently appears to be limited to the BHA’s internal systems and data.
Still, given the sensitive information the BHA holds, it is a hugely significant event and racing’s governing body joins the International Association of Athletics Federations (2017) and FIFA (2018) in being targeted by hackers.
Retail giant Marks & Spencer are still feeling the ramifications of an attack at Easter.
It is understood that the attack on the British Horseracing Authority happened last week
In a statement, a BHA spokesperson said: ‘We recently identified and began investigating an IT incident. We are working at pace with external specialists to determine what happened in more detail and safely restore our systems.
‘The delivery of racedays has continued as normal and will continue to do so. We have informed our colleagues, core industry stakeholders and law enforcement.’
