Sports Direct ‘failed to tell’ 30,000 workers about cyberattack

Sports Direct was hit by a major data breach last autumn but failed to tell the workers involved about it, according to reports.

The Register is reporting that the personal details of some 30,000 employees were accessed by hackers last September, but that the Shirebrook-based firm neglected to let those affected know.

The report says that Sports Direct was made aware of the cyberattack three months after it occured and that it filed an incident report with the Information Commissioner’s office, but did not tell its staff.

Steve Turner, assistant general secretary at trade union Unite, told The Register: ““It’s completely unacceptable that the workers affected appear not to have been informed and the data breach swept under the carpet.

“We will be immediately approaching the company for answers and further details about the potentially damaging impact of this on our members, as well as details about actions taken to ensure personal data is never compromised again.”

The news is the latest in a long line of bad publicity for Sports Direct which was last year accused of promoting “Victorian workhouse” conditions by a Select Committee of MPs.