We focus on the latest news surrounding data breaches, leaks and hacks plus daily internet security articles.
You may have heard about the We-vibe app class action in the U.S., where the makers of the sex toy have been ordered to pay millions in compensation.
In the U.K., we’ve been running our own legal action since news of the data breach hit the headlines a few years ago. This is one of the dozens of different data breach actions our lawyers are fighting for justice in, and we act for a large group of victims claiming data breach compensation as a victim of the We-vibe app breach.
Although we’ve been acting for people for a number of years, it’s not too late to join the action if you’ve yet to sign up. In the U.K., the case is at a different stage to that of the U.S.
There are rising financial services data breach incidents, according to the number of reports that have been made to the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA).
In 2018, it’s understood that the number of data breaches that had been reported to the FCA had increased by a monumental 480%.
With May 2018 seeing the introduction of the new GDPR rules, punishments that can be issued for data incidents can amount to millions. On top of that, victims can be entitled to make a claim for compensation. Financial services data breach compensation amounts can be high, depending on the nature and severity of the incident.
A study by software giants Symantec has suggested that hotels leaking data is a far more common problem than most people may think.
Their research has indicated that as many as two out of three hotels are leaking data. The data being leaked includes names, email addresses, credit card information and passport information. This kind of data is more than enough for fraudsters and cybercriminals to do some serious damage.
Some 1,500 websites were analysed across 54 different countries as part of the study. This news comes just months after the monumental Marriott data breach that remains fresh in our minds.
There are concerns as to whether personal and sensitive information may have been exposed in the recent Haylands Primary School data breach.
Hackers are known to target public sector organisations and institutions who may not have cybersecurity that’s strong enough to withstand attacks. The 2017 WannaCry incident was a perfect example of hackers targeting older and outdated software. It ended up hitting the NHS incredibly hard.
In this incident, there are understandable concerns as to whether any personal information about parents and pupils has been exposed.
If you were a victim of the Marriott data hack, you may be worried about the uncertainties surrounding the event.
It has to be remembered that this was a huge, huge breach that affected some 500 million customers worldwide. Data may have been vulnerable and exposed for four years. Data breached included passport information, which is incredibly serious. Partial payment card information is also understood to have been exposed for some.
With the revelations that the company may never know who was behind the devastating data breach, what can the victims do to feel safe? All we can do as data breach lawyers is help you claim compensation as a victim of the breach.
As investigations into the Police Federation of England and Wales cyber attack continue, we’ve taken cases forward on a No Win, No Fee basis.
The investigations into the two malware attacks that hit the PFEW on 9th March and 21st March 2019 are underway, and we’ve agreed to take claims forward. Our legal team who are fighting for justice in dozens of data breach group actions have been contacted for help. As with the other group and multi-party actions we’re running, we have offered No Win, No Fee compensation representation.
It’s understood that the data for some 120,000 police employees may have been exposed in the incident. At this stage, information exposure or theft cannot be ruled out.
A lack of data training is an easy open goal for data breaches and cybersecurity incidents. It’s not a viable defence to a claim for compensation.
Over the years we’ve been helping people, thousands of victims have asked for our help for data breaches, leaks and hacks. We can tell you from years of experience that a common cause of incidents can sometimes be a simple issue of a lack of training. Even though data breaches are always in the news, and the risk of a cybersecurity incident has probably never been higher, data protection training is still not a priority for some.
I’ve spoken to friends and family for some insight as well, and there are still way too many organisations not treating it seriously; despite GDPR. For a victim who must make a claim for data breach compensation, a lack of training is no excuse to deflect a claim.
Facebook user records exposed again! In yet another data breach that’s hit the social media giants, data for millions of users has been found on a publicly-accessible Amazon server.
This is one in a growing line of recent Facebook data breach incidents that has plagued the tech giants in recent years. This appears to be another case of third-party developers being responsible for the incident as well. It’s understood that the leaks involve Cultura Colectiva, a media firm, and an app named At The Pool.
Some of the data that has been exposed in this leak is worrying. It’s yet another warning about the dangers of sharing Facebook account information via apps and plugins. Facebook themselves cannot avoid responsibility for these incidents either.
We’ve started taking cases forward on a No Win, No Fee basis for victims of the PFEW cyber attacks that were announced recently.
Some 120,000 police employees may have been affected by this data breach, spanning 40 different forces. The PFEW (Police Federation of England and Wales) cannot determine whether any information was exposed, so on the basis that it cannot be ruled out, we’ve agreed to take cases on.
Another key factor is that there were two separate incidents that spanned over a number of weeks. The first incident took place on 9th March 2019, and the second took place on 21st March 2019. It’s believed that the attacks were a part of a wider operation as opposed to specifically targeting PFEW.
Last month, apologies and testimonies took place in relation to the massive Marriott cyber attack that saw some 500 million people’s records exposed.
Marriott International Inc.’s Chief executive, Arne Sorenson, reportedly appeared before a U.S. Senate committee to testify. As part of a written testimony, an apology was issued, although the company is said to have declined to comment on the developments.
There are stark differences between how the U.S. deal with companies in the wake of huge data breaches and how the U.K. deals with them. Although we have the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) who can issue fines in the millions under GDPR, the government rarely gets involved in the same way the U.S. does. However, victims in the U.K. can still be eligible to claim data breach compensation. This is important to remember.
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