Dear SAA Members,

We are writing to inform you of a cybersecurity incident involving GoDaddy, the hosting platform for the SAA website, which occurred on 18 September 2026. GoDaddy notified the SAA on 27 October and has already advised the relevant authorities.

According to GoDaddy, the attack was AI-driven and resulted in the exposure of profile and setting information from its Website + Marketing product—specifically, contact information supplied for publication on the website. We want to reassure you that GoDaddy's investigation found the third party did not obtain passwords, access accounts, make changes to the website, or take any other action affecting accounts or products. GoDaddy detected the incident on 19 September, responded immediately, contained the activity, and has reported it to law enforcement and engaged cybersecurity experts.

Importantly, the information exposed was limited to the Webmaster's contact details. No member personal information has been compromised.

You should also note that the SAA Webmaster uses two party verification on the website and Jots forms to provide a high level of security when members interact with the website.

This incident underscores the importance of the decision made by the SAA Executive two years ago to discontinue the Members Only section of our website. That decision was taken specifically to minimise the possibility that members' Personal Identifiable Information could be compromised—and this event justifies that decision. The recent rise of AI being used to hack into websites means that we always need to be vigilant.

If you have any concerns, please contact the SAA Communications Information Manager - Bob Hendrie or myself.