We focus on the latest news surrounding data breaches, leaks and hacks plus daily internet security articles.
The Missoma data breach has a very familiar feel to it. In fact, it feels identical to a number of previous breaches, including compensation actions we’re involved with.
Reportedly, an email sent to customers has confirmed that a data breach has taken place and that malicious software from a third-party had been used to target customers’ payment details. It appears that malicious code has been injected into the payments part of the website in order to steal data processed through it.
Although news of the breach has only just broken, the circumstances surrounding the incident appear to be exactly the same as a number of other data breaches that have taken place in recent years as well.
In the same way that fines can be far higher, will we also see higher GDPR compensation amounts since the new law came into effect in May 2018?
Although data breach compensation amounts are still based on the individual impact to the victim, and this hasn’t changed since GDPR, the new laws can make brining a claim an easier thing to do. The law is more stringent than the previous Data Protection Act, so there can be more avenues for people to be able to claim. And the recent court case victory has also paved the way for people to be able to launch a claim even if they haven’t suffered any distress or loss at all.
The difference in fines is, of course, monumental. We have already seen the power that regulators now have to ensure data breach offenders are properly punished.
There has been another West Berkshire Council data breach, and it again involves an email being sent to people that has leaked the information for the recipients.
Just a few weeks ago, we covered a breach from the same council which saw an email sent to around 30 people where the “BCC” function wasn’t used. In this more recent event, it’s another case where the “BCC” function wasn’t used, but this time, it’s understood to have affected over a thousand people.
The long and short of the issue is that council data breach compensation claims are incredibly common because of how easily these events occur. But these incidents are completely preventable, and the fact that there has been two from the same council in the space of just a few weeks is alarming.
It’s important to know your GDPR data breach rights, and as a pioneering data breach compensation law firm, our expert advice and representation can help.
I once read that, statistically, data breaches are more common than rain in the UK. Having lived here all my life, and travelled a fair few places around the world, that statement seems excessive. The weather, and how wet it is, is a common part of British life!
But it’s apparently true. So, with this in mind, let’s look at your GDPR data breach rights and how we can help you when it comes to making as claim for compensation.
Wokingham Council data leaks have hit the news again after media reports of a number of incidents where information has reportedly been sent to the wrong people.
These kinds of leaks can be awfully common, which is why a large number of the cases we take forward for people are council data breach compensation claims.
With the sheer wealth of information that councils hold, and the personal and sensitive nature of it, any leak, breach or hack can be serious.
There’s been yet another data leak that’s hit the social media giant. It’s reported that Facebook exposed telephone numbers for millions of users, including those in the UK.
This latest data leak comes after a long line of breaches and incidents that have plagued the social media giant over the last few years. It also comes after increased scrutiny from regulators around the world over things like their data sharing policies, with the Cambridge Analytica scandal still fresh on our minds.
Although Facebook appears to be trying to play down the scale of the leak, there’s no argument as to how serious this incident is.
The volume of Countess of Chester Hospital data breaches has raised some concerns after figures revealed there have been hundreds of incidents in the 2018/19 period.
We say this a lot, but the volume of individual cases that we take forward that involve medical data cases is high. Although the statistics aren’t surprising, given the number of NHS data breach compensation claims we take forward, it’s still worrying; especially when you consider the nature of the information at risk here.
The news about the data revealed by the Chester Standard reported that, on average, there has been more than four every week during the period reviewed.
If you’re not sure about how to make a GDPR claim, here’s some advice about what you can do to make sure you get the justice you deserve as a victim of a data breach incident.
The new GDPR that came into force in 2018 allows for victims whose information has been exposed or misused to be able to claim compensation. You can be entitled to claim damages for any distress caused and for any financial losses as well. Generally speaking, the more you suffer, the more the data breach compensation pay-out could be.
A really important thing to know is that the GDPR fines that the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) issues are not intended to be compensation for victims. When it comes to justice for the victims, you should speak to a lawyer! As a law firm, here’s out advice in how to make a GDPR claim.
Issues surrounding a number of Sunderland Council data breach incidents have hit the headlines in recent weeks, with some 170 incidents said to have been recorded.
In the GDPR era, councils and local authority agencies must take their data protection responsibilities seriously. They hold a lot of information about a lot of people, and if this is exposed, the impact on the victim can be severe.
A large volume of the individual cases we take forward are for council data breach compensation claims because of how often they can occur, and because of nature of the information that can be exposed or misused.
It’s understood that the recently discovered Lancaster University cyber incident may have affected as many as 12,500 people.
The university was hit by what they called a “sophisticated” cyber-attack that had affected the data for some students and applicants. It’s now understood that the number of people whose data may have been exposed in the attack could be as many as 12,500.
Given the volume of people affected, the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) could impose a significant penalty if they find that the university is guilty of breaching GDPR. In terms of justice for the victims, that’s where we come in.
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