Golfclub Hofgut Praforst e.V.

Golfclub Hofgut Praforst e.V., also known as Hofgut Praforst Golf Club, is a golf club based in Germany. The organisation operates a golf course that provides playing facilities for its members and guests. It offers membership arrangements that grant access to the course, practice areas and clubhouse amenities. In addition to regular play, the club organises golf tournaments, social events and instructional lessons for players of varying skill levels. Its activities are centred on promoting the sport of golf and providing a recreational environment for the local community.

As an eingetragener Verein (e.V.) the club is structured as a registered, non‑profit association under German law, with ownership and governance vested in its members. The club’s headquarters are located in Germany, though the exact city is not specified in the available sources. In January 2022 the organisation suffered a ransomware attack in which unknown actors encrypted its data and demanded payment for decryption. Responding to the incident, the club disconnected all compromised hardware and software from its network and undertook a complete rebuild of its IT infrastructure using new components and enhanced data protection measures. Although an offline data backup existed, it was not recently updated, requiring extensive system disinfection to remove malicious software before services could be restored. Throughout the recovery period phone communications remained operational while other services were limited, and criminal investigations were launched to identify the perpetrators and their methods.