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United Kingdom National Lottery operator, Camelot Group has reassured its patrons that their banking details as well as any key systems are safe from the recent suspected hack on some of their online accounts.
The operator explained that, although a very small number of accounts appeared to have been accessed by hackers, the integrity of the system as a whole remained intact and transaction security protocols had not been breached.
Camelot, which has administered the UK National Lottery since 1994, nevertheless urged all players to reset their account passwords. It also confirmed that it has notified the police of the breach and enlisted both the Information Commissioner’s Office and the National Cyber Security Centre to remedy the situation and prevent it from reoccurring.
Security in Place
According to Camelot Group, the affected accounts have been identified and their owners notified of the breach, reassuring users that only a small few accounts were accessed. The operator gas also urged all of its clients to reset their account passwords using an impersonal combination of letters, cases, and numbers, warning that cyber hackers are persistent criminals.
Players need not worry about their bank accounts being at risk, though, because the site does not display full banking details on their online National Lottery accounts. Moreover, Camelot has reassured players that its core systems and databases have not been accessed by the cyber attack. As such, no draws, prizes or payouts have been impacted.
The operator nevertheless apologised for any inconvenience caused by the hack and thanked patrons for their cooperation in managing the situation.
Not the First Time
It may be some cause for concern that this is not the first time that the UK National Lottery system has been hacked under Camelot’s watch.
The last hack was in late 2016, when 26 500 online player accounts were fraudulently accessed. The security measures enacted in response to the breach at that time were similar to those employed in the most recent attack. Affected account holders contacted, all users were requested to update their passwords, and the National Crime Agency and National Cyber Security Centre were brought on board to manage the situation.
As such, players’ banking information as well as the integrity of the National Lottery’s databases and other systems were kept safe from harm. Then, as now, the operator reassured players that the protection of their personal data was of the utmost importance to Camelot.