Fota Wildlife Park hit by cyberattack; customers urged to cancel credit cards

Fota Wildlife Park, a popular Irish attraction, has been the target of a cyberattack that compromised its website and potentially exposed customer financial information. The park’s website was taken offline on Wednesday night as a precautionary measure, but the park remains open, with tickets available for purchase at kiosks only.

 

Customers who recently purchased tickets online have been strongly advised to cancel their credit or debit cards and monitor their financial accounts for suspicious activity. An email to affected customers warned of the potential risk to their financial information and recommended immediate action to safeguard their bank accounts.

 

The cyberattack is believed to have impacted transactions dating back to May 12, 2024. Fota Wildlife Park has hired external forensic cybersecurity experts to investigate the breach and alerted the Gardaí (Irish police) and the Data Protection Commissioner. Park officials assured customers they are treating the incident with the utmost seriousness and have activated their incident response plan to secure their systems.

 

In a statement, Fota Wildlife Park confirmed the illegal cyber activity and outlined the steps taken to address the situation. The park is in the process of contacting all potentially impacted customers and is cooperating fully with authorities. Despite the breach, Fota Wildlife Park emphasized that its day-to-day operations will continue normally.

 

This incident is the latest in a series of cyberattacks targeting prominent Irish organizations. Last month, a Defence Policy Review highlighted Ireland’s increasing vulnerability to cyber threats. In June, several Irish websites, including those of Bus Éireann, the Royal College of Surgeons Ireland, and Voter. They were targeted in an organized campaign across EU member states, though the impact was minimal due to preparedness measures.