We focus on the latest news surrounding data breaches, leaks and hacks plus daily internet security articles.
Due to a number of Ministry of Justice data protection issues, it has been reported that the UK data regulator, the ICO, has now published Enforcement Action against the MoJ.
In a recent publication from the ICO (the Information Commissioner’s Office), it was confirmed that the Ministry of Justice was in contravention of vital data protection legislation. The reason cited was due to their failure to provide, with “undue delay”, copies of information for a staggering 7,753 data subjects.
Government data protection breaches can lead to incredibly personal and sensitive information being exposed. The government is not above the law and they can be held accountable, and victims of a data breach can be eligible to claim data breach compensation.
Victims can suffer from considerable distress when personal and sensitive information is misused or exposed. The law can entitle victims to receive damages for any distress that they have suffered from, and our job is to fight for the rights of the victims in pursuing justice.
You can speak to the team here now for free, no-obligation advice.
Victims suffering from distress that arises from the unauthorised access of medical records can be entitled to claim medical data breach compensation now on a No Win, No Fee basis.
Medical data breach cases are some of the most significant that we represent people for as the impact on the victims can often be very severe. Of the thousands of people that we represent as a leading firm of data breach and consumer action lawyers, we truly understand the significant impact on victims when this kind of event happens.
The team here at Your Lawyers is here for you now – you can speak to our expert team for free, no-obligation advice here now.
We are seeing more and more reports of school ransomware attacks, and it is concerning to see that hackers appear to be targeting this specific sector of civilisation.
Anyone who has lost control of their personal information could be entitled to pursue a claim for data breach compensation now.
Your Lawyers – as leading Data Leak Lawyers – represent thousands of people for data breach cases and have already recovered over £1m in damages for mostly individual clients. Having been working in this area of law for a great deal longer than most other data firms out there, our experience speaks for itself.
An analysis of regional statistics for data breaches singled out Cambridgeshire as the region to suffer the sharpest peak in cybercrime incidents. Covering 20 regions of the UK for the period of 2016-18, the data from the Office for National Statistics reportedly led to Cambridgeshire being labelled the UK’s “data breach capital”, according to IT Pro. It is unclear why the number of data breaches in Cambridgeshire may have risen so significantly in this period.
Whilst Thames Valley reportedly recorded the highest number of attacks, Cambridgeshire was branded with the fastest rate of increases as well as the largest total for its population. The figures raise questions about why Cambridgeshire may have succumbed to so many data breaches in 2020, and what this peak tells us about general trends in cybercrime.
Your Lawyers, as leading specialists in data breach claims, are keen to see cyber threats being closely monitored. However, it is important that these statistics are used effectively as a way of pushing for improvements to cybersecurity and data protection policies. These figures should not just be meaningless numbers – they should be a means of holding data controllers accountable.
Anglesey schools cyberattack: A small island off the coast of Wales, Anglesey does not have many schools, but all five of its secondary schools were reportedly hit by a cyberattack in late June last year.
In the wake of the attack, investigations began to establish whether or not data had been affected and, if so, to what extent. The unknown element of cyberattacks was clearly demonstrated in this incident, with schools left wondering what the complications could be as they scrambled to deal with the assault on their systems.
Unfortunately, cyberattacks have been hitting the education sector with increasing frequency in recent times, calling into question how effectively school cybersecurity can defend against such targeted attacks. Where schools have not done enough to protect personal information, they could be responsible for a breach of data protection law. If you have been affected by an incident like this, you may be eligible to pursue a data protection breach compensation claim.
A suspected Dorset Council data breach has been reported in the media at the back end of 2021, although little is known yet about the finer details of the incident.
We know that the matter has been reported to the regulators, and that apologies have been made. If personal and sensitive information has been misused or exposed, this could cause significant distress to anyone affected.
Your Lawyers, as leading Data Leak Lawyers, are used to representing people for council data breach compensation cases. Anyone affected by such an incident can access free, no-obligation legal advice from our expert team here now.
The Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) is a regulator that monitors the activity of financial services firms in the UK. Despite this authoritative position, the FCA has fallen foul of data laws, and was reportedly responsible for three major data breaches in 2020 alone. The three FCA data breaches in question were acknowledged following a Freedom of Information request (FOI) that was made by a media outlet, but the full details of the incidents were not expanded upon.
Regardless of the exact circumstances of incidents such as these, it is concerning to learn that personal information looks to have been exposed by the FCA. In its regulatory capacity, the FCA actually investigates businesses that have been responsible for data breaches, so its own reported failure to comply with data protection law could undermine the authority it should have over the organisations it regulates.
Given the sensitive information it holds about consumers and businesses, the FCA should have an advanced level of data security, but it seems to have failed in this responsibility on some occasions. When information is exposed by data controllers, they can be held accountable in accordance with the law. So, if you have been affected by a data breach, you could be entitled to make a compensation claim.
In recent months, cyberattacks on the education sector have been rising, and Skinners’ Kent schools were among the targets last year. In early June 2021, it was revealed that Skinners’ Kent Academy Trust had reportedly succumbed to a hack, leaving the school unable to stay open.
At their worst, coordinated cyberattacks can make computer systems inoperable, and the hackers who have taken control may be able to steal personal information. Pupil information was likely put at risk in the hack at Skinners’ Kent schools, enabling it to be stolen by the hackers.
Many schools hold highly sensitive information about their pupils, which can heighten the risk to privacy when a data security incident occurs. Schools, like all organisations, have a duty to eliminate such risk as far as possible. Where they fail in this responsibility, they may be in breach of data protection law.
While hospitals and healthcare trusts have always been prime targets for cybercriminals, the reports of increasing healthcare cyberattacks suggest that the hackers are aiming their attacks at the sector with an alarming and greater frequency. The rising numbers of cyberattacks on healthcare organisations have also widely been associated with Covid-19, in line with the wider increase in cybercrime provoked by the pandemic.
In the face of such a significant cybersecurity threat, it is vital that healthcare organisations play their part to protect the personal information that is in their control. In fact, the law requires that all data controllers take steps to ensure that the personal information they process and hold is safeguarded through appropriate organisational and cybersecurity measures. As a result, where they fail to sufficiently protect information and consequently cause it to be compromised or exposed, they could be responsible for a data protection breach.
We understand how distressing healthcare data breaches can be for those affected, given how sensitive medical information is. Our leading, specialist data protection lawyers are here to advocate on your behalf to ensure you can claim compensation for any harm caused.
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