Hunt supporters warned about coordinated data breaches
Police are warning hunt supporters to bolster the security of their stables and kennels after three hunts were hit by coordinated data breaches.
The Telegraph can reveal police have written to hundreds of members and supporters of the New Forest Hounds in Hampshire to review the security of their homes, as well as "outbuildings, kennels and stables".
The hunt is one of three hit by data breaches where home addresses and contact details were published online by anti-hunting groups, who have warned of further attacks.
The Action Fraud police are assessing a similar data breach on the Cottesmore Hunt, prompting the Hunting Office to warn its nationwide members about cyber attacks.
It comes after The Telegraph revealed earlier this month that the Mendip Farmers' Hunt in Somerset was targeted by the same anti-hunt activists.
Last Monday, Hampshire Police sent a letter to affected supporters whose data was published, advising them to review their online security by changing passwords and reviewing privacy settings on all online accounts.
It warned: “Information including names, addresses, contact numbers, email addresses of members and subscribers is publicly available…We recommend those affected secure your digital footprint and consider your home security options.”
The animal rights group behind the leaks say they are planning a prolonged attack on trail-hunting packs in a “tit-for-tat GDPR conflict”.
They allege they have evidence the Countryside Alliance has a dedicated database on hunt saboteurs “consisting of written reports, photographs and videos”.
The Countryside Alliance said it was simply retaining video evidence of incidents of animal rights extremism and records of social media posts which could be used as evidence in criminal investigations. Legal advice, they said, suggests this is entirely compliant with GDPR.
Ernie Goldman, a spokesman for the group behind the leaks, claims details of supporters, hunt meetings and finances are being passed to them “from groups within the hunting community and within the anti-hunting community".
He added: “Some of it we have no idea where it's come from, but it's been fairly easy to identify as genuine.”
Lord Mancroft, chairman of the Hunting Office, said: “We are investigating the source of the breaches and cases of illegal hacking of our members’ private email accounts, as well as the theft of personal data by animal rights extremists.
"We take these security breaches very seriously – this co-ordinated attack from anti-hunt groups and resultant online harassment of our members and the potential exposure to violence and criminal damage, is something our community should not have to tolerate”.
Established in 2005, the Hunting Office is responsible for the administration of hunting across the UK.
One hunt member whose details have been leaked said it was a “concern” but said he knew anti-hunt groups had “decades’ worth” of information on him from their monitoring of legal hunting activities, both before and after the introduction of the Hunting Act in 2004.
“I do wonder why they have this information because I’m participating in a legal activity,” he said. “It’s time these organisations were brought to account because what they are doing is illegal. My mother was a hunt secretary and when she was in her seventies, she was letter bombed by animal rights activists — are we going back to that? I fear we are.”
Another hunt supporter echoed his opinion, saying she felt “persecuted for carrying about lawful activities.”
“This is bullying and persecution on a big scale — these people are unpleasant and they won’t stop at trail hunting — every countryside pursuit is in peril here.”
A spokesperson from the Countryside Alliance said: “There is no justification for leaking and publishing the details of private individuals who support a lawful activity other than to intimidate them and leave them vulnerable to harassment. We hope the police will investigate this matter thoroughly and punish those responsible appropriately.”
A spokesman for Hampshire Police confirmed it was investigating a report that the New Forest Hounds’ website had been hacked and personal details of members of the group had been published online, adding: “We are contacting those affected to give safeguarding advice while we investigate this incident.”
A spokesperson for the Cottesmore Hunt said: “The matter is being investigated by the police and we hope that those responsible will be punished appropriately as a result of this data breach which highlights the purely vindictive nature of those behind this crime.”
