BEVERLY HILLS, November 21, (THEWILL) – English Premier League club Manchester United have confirmed that the Old Trafford outfit was hit by a cyber attack in what it described as a “sophisticated” operation.
On Friday, the club released a statement confirming the breach. The statement said that the club’s IT defence system brought the issue under control effectively and protected relevant data.
The statement read in part:
“Manchester United can confirm that the club has experienced a cyber attack on our systems. The club has taken swift action to contain the attack and is currently working with expert advisers to investigate the incident and minimise the ongoing IT disruption.
“Although this is a sophisticated operation by organised cybercriminals, the club has extensive protocols and procedures in place for such an event and had rehearsed for this risk. Our cyber defences identified the attack and shut down affected systems to contain the damage and protect data.”
As sophisticated as the cyberattack was, it did not affect the club’s website and app and Old Trafford said they were unaware of any breach of personal data of their fans and customers. The club confirmed that all operations will continue to run smoothly.
“Club media channels, including our website and app, are unaffected and we are not currently aware of any breach of personal data associated with our fans and customers.
“All critical systems required for matches to take place at Old Trafford remain secure and operational and tomorrow’s game against West Bromwich Albion will go ahead.”
Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s side have had a rocky start to their Premier League 2020-2021 season. They currently sit in 14th position and are eight points behind leaders Leicester City.
The Red Devils will next take on West Brom later on Saturday, November 21 in the Premier League.
Jude Obafemi is a versatile senior Correspondent at THEWILL Newspapers, excelling in sourcing, researching, and delivering sports news stories for both print and digital publications.
