Welcome To The Data Leak Lawyers Blog
We focus on the latest news surrounding data breaches, leaks and hacks plus daily internet security articles.
We focus on the latest news surrounding data breaches, leaks and hacks plus daily internet security articles.
News of the New Year’s Honours List data leak incident rounded off what has been yet another year of leaks, breaches and hacks.
You can take it from us – as data breach experts – that news of this breach was nothing to be surprised about. We’re often asked for our expert insight by the media as we discuss what feels like a never-ending carousel of incident after incident, and this latest leak was yet another in what has been a big year for data breaches on the whole.
Our client numbers continue to grow given how often these kinds of incidents are taking place. When personal and sensitive information is misused or exposed, it’s important that victims know their rights.
We’ve discussed the issue of the police misusing IT systems before, and it’s a topic that needs to be addressed a lot given the nature of the data that they’re charged with.
Officers and employees have access to huge amounts of data, some of which is very personal and very sensitive. When exposed, victims can be understandably distressed, and that’s where we can assist.
Victims of a data breach can be entitled to make a claim for compensation that stems from the loss of control of private and sensitive information. We may be able to represent you, and since no one is above the law, you shouldn’t worry about going up against the police.
If you have been the victim of a social care records data breach, you may be entitled to make a claim for compensation with us on a No Win, No Fee basis.
One of the most common types of individual legal cases that we represent people for involve councils, and a large volume of them relate to social care information. Social care data can be incredibly personal and sensitive which is why we find that data breach compensation pay-outs for these kinds of incidents can be quite high.
Victims should always know their rights. An apology isn’t always enough, especially when the data that has been exposed or misused is sensitive, which can often be the case when it comes to social care data.
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.
If you’ve been the victim of someone unlawfully accessing medical records, you could be entitled to make a medical data breach compensation claim.
With the Wrightington, Wigan and Leigh (WWL) NHS Foundation Trust medical records access scandal fresh in our minds, we want to make sure that victims know that they have a voice. We’ve taken forward a number of cases for victims of the WWL incident so far, but anyone who has suffered this kind of breach can be entitled to claim.
Whether you’re one of the 2,172 Greater Manchester patients affected by the above scandal, or someone who has discovered unlawful access to your information, we may be able to help you.
Human error data breaches remain one of the number one causes when it comes to data protection incidents, and it’s important for victims of these kinds of breaches to know their rights.
The important thing to know is that it doesn’t stop you being able to claim if the cause of a breach stems from an error by a human. The organisation that employs the person can be held liable for a legal case, and in this article, we’ll explain why.
It’s not an acceptable excuse for an organisation to simply try and defend a claim on the basis that the fault lies with a human.
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.
A Medway Council data breach incident has been discovered by a security researcher after “rudimentary” tests found a bug in a system that may have exposed personal data.
Council data breach compensation claims are increasingly common these days, and a lot of it is likely down to a lack of investment in security and technology. One of the most common types of legal cases we take forward involve local authorities or the agencies they employ, and we regularly see these kinds of breach stories hitting the news.
In this case, it appears that an issue with an online inquiry form may have allowed anyone to access the personal information of some residents.
The Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) has issued a fine in the wake of a documentary that was filmed that led to the Addenbrooke’s Hospital data breach relating to patient consent.
London-based production company behind the filming, True Visions Productions (TVP), were fined £120,000.00 for unlawfully filming in a maternity clinic. As the incidents took place before GDPR, they have been fined in accordance with the previous rules where maximum fines could reach up to £500,000.00; unlike the recent record-setting fine of £183m issued to British Airways.
Filming took place between 24th July 2017 and 29th November 2017 and ceased following complaints received by the ICO. The ICO said: “A patient attending the clinic would not have reasonably expected there to be cameras in examination rooms and would expect to be made aware of any filming.”
The recent record-setting British Airways and Marriott fines that are to be enforced by regulators show the importance of cybersecurity to prevent breaches, and justice for the victims when an incident occurs.
What we saw was two major organisations whose systems were breached when we should be able to expect big corporations to protect our data. We should be able to safely assume that these large, wealthy organisations can – and will – invest in solid cybersecurity. But both have undoubtedly fallen short, and the result is huge fines and claims for compensation for the victims.
The levels of the provisional fines to be enforced shows how seriously the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) is taking breaches of GDPR. The compensation actions that we represent people for are the way forward when it comes to justice for victims, which is not accounted for as part of regulatory fines.
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