A cyber attack on IT systems at Manchester United has led to a week-long period of disruption at the Premier League club. The National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC) is assisting the club in investigating the cause and its impact.

Following the attack on 20 November, the club has been unable to fully restore its computer systems and the Press Association reports that as of Thursday night, staff did not have access to their email accounts. In a statement, Manchester United said: “Following the recent cyber attack on the club, our IT team and external experts secured our networks and have conducted forensic investigations.”

It says it does not believe fans’ data to have been compromised, and although the club has not commented on who was responsible for the attack or the motives behind it, it added: “This attack was by nature disruptive, but we are not currently aware of any fan data being compromised. Critical systems required for matches to take place at Old Trafford remained secure and games have gone ahead as normal.”

Manchester United has informed the Information Commissioner’s Office as required, and could face a fine if it is found that data has been compromised as a result of the cyber attack.
Earlier this month, the NCSC’s annual review revealed that the organisation has defended the UK from more than 700 cyber attacks over the last year. In particular, it highlighted a rise in the number of ransomware incidents.

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