Regulator Warns Charities of Rising Complexity in Cyber Attacks
Challenges Faced by Charities in the Current Landscape
Charities are increasingly encountering sophisticated threats from malicious actors, which often take advantage of regulatory overlaps, as highlighted in a recent official assessment. The Charity Commission’s second annual Charity Sector Risk Assessment reveals a worrying trend: a significant rise in cases where charitable status has been exploited for personal gain. In the 2025-26 period, there was a 29% surge in reported cases, reaching a total of 374, following an earlier increase of 38% in the previous year.
This escalation in reported abuses has resulted in a notable rise in “particularly complex case work.” Such cases typically involve charities functioning in sectors with multiple regulatory bodies, or where the lines of regulat...



