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.
A Chorley Council data breach has recently been reported after it was revealed that thousands of members of the public may have had their details exposed by the local authority. The incident appears to be yet another example of the damage that can be done to information security when employees make misjudgements.
Unfortunately, the incident at Chorley Council is only one in a long list of data breaches to have been caused by human error at local government bodies generally. Councils like Chorley should be striving to break with this trend, but there has unfortunately been little progress in terms of data protection it seems.
In the UK, all third-party data controllers are obliged to comply with the GDPR in their protection of the information that they hold and process. If they fail to do so, they can be held accountable, and those affected may have a right to make a compensation claim.
The news of a Pembroke College data leak has recently been reported after it emerged that private details relating to the college’s alumni were made vulnerable to unauthorised access. Users with access to the college’s single sign-on system were reportedly able to access extensive personal information on the former Oxford University students who were hosted at Pembroke College, according to Cherwell.
All organisations that process and store personal data have a legal duty to protect it in accordance with the GDPR. Where they fail to do so, they can be held liable for a data protection breach. In some cases, the affected victims can also be eligible to make compensation claims for the harm caused.
Although it appears that the alumni information was not exposed outside the organisation, the incident at Pembroke College nevertheless demonstrates the problems with failing to manage data access appropriately.
In 2017, it was reported that West Midlands Police officers had been responsible for as many as 24 data breaches in just one year. For the most part, the West Midlands Police data breaches were reportedly caused by the inappropriate disclosure of private information.
The breaches, which are understood to have occurred over the course of 2016, show the significant role that human error can play in causing information security incidents. While the West Midlands Police did not reveal specifics of the individual cases, it is nevertheless concerning that officers with access to such sensitive information were not being more diligent in their data protection duties.
For their crime fighting duties, the police force necessarily hold a great deal of sensitive information, so it essential that there are robust defences in place to prevent this data from being exposed. Sometimes, when the police fail in their data protection duties, it can cause immense distress to those affected and can even compromise their personal safety. To us, it is important that all police data breaches are thoroughly scrutinised, which is why we can offer free, no-obligation advice to anyone affected by an incident like this.
Medical data often constitutes some of the most sensitive information involving an individual, so the effects can be devastating if this information is exposed. Cybercriminals are all too aware of this fact, and in the world of data misuse, highly sensitive information is often very profitable. Some cyberattacks result in medical data leaked online, with criminals using it as a powerful bargaining tool.
In the wake of medical data breaches, many victims may feel vulnerable and anxious, fearing that their private information might have fallen into the hands of cybercriminals. Nothing can make up for the distress of this difficult aftermath period but making a compensation claim can help to achieve some form of justice for the harm caused.
Your Lawyers, as leading data breach experts, want to make sure all data breach victims can access justice. Victims can contact us for free, no-obligation advice on a potential compensation claim.
The vital crime-fighting function of the police means that they are allowed to request, process and use much more data than most people would ordinarily disclose to a third party. Many trust the police to handle the information that they are given access to with caution and respect, only requesting and viewing it when absolutely necessary. However, there are unfortunate examples of police using data without consent, abusing their powers to view or use information inappropriately.
Police officers are not above data protection law and this is important to remember. It may be that certain allowances are granted to them in accordance with the GDPR, but they are still bound to certain restrictions.
As such, those who are affected by police data breaches may be entitled to claim compensation for the harm caused.
Following a breach of Guntrader.uk, a website that leads in buying and selling of guns in the UK, it is understood that thousands of customers have had their names and addresses exposed. As a result of the Guntrader data breach, those who used the site may have reportedly had their personal information posted to the dark web.
The breach is particularly concerning given the safety risks of making the identities and potential whereabouts of gun owners known to potential criminals. As investigations continue, it is not yet clear how the data theft was allowed to occur. However, if it is found that Guntrader bears responsibility for the information exposure, it could be held liable for a breach of data protection law.
If you have been affected by the Guntrader data breach, we recommend that you come forward to seek legal advice, as there may be grounds for a compensation claim. It is always distressing to learn that your private information could be circulating in the public domain, so it is vital that any responsible parties are held accountable for the harm caused.
According to recent data analysis by Redscan, Trusts have begun to deal with and address NHS cyber-skills shortages in the past two years, although there is still a lot of ground to cover to tackle the problem of data breaches within the health service. In 2018, it was reportedly revealed by Redscan that around a quarter of NHS Trusts did not have security professionals, whereas now, the figure has dropped to 15% of Trusts.
Despite an average decline in the number of NHS data breaches reported to the ICO, it is still clear that personal information is still not being granted the full security it deserves. In our view, there is still a lot of work to be done to ensure all NHS Trusts have the appropriate cybersecurity and data protection breaches needed to keep data safe.
We have represented many clients for a number of NHS data breach cases over several years, so we have seen just how devastating the effects can be when sensitive medical information is compromised. In accordance with UK data protection law, every citizen has a right to strong data protection, which is why we can help victims of data breaches to assert their rights by making compensation claims.
It has recently been confirmed that a former Hampshire police officer has been reportedly banned from ever entering the police service again after it was found that he accessed private records without a valid policing reason. The Special Constable in question is understood to have resigned from his position before superiors could dismiss him for his data snooping.
While police officers are granted information access to records and details that are needed for casework, they are not authorised to view or use information outside of their policing workload without any good reason. Campbell violated his professional duty by accessing information without a legitimate reason, reportedly only browsing the records due to “curiosity”.
Regardless of the motives of the Hampshire police officer, there is no excuse for breaching data protection law. We trust the police service to maintain strict control over personal information, so it is important that any officers who breach the duty they owe to the public are held accountable for their actions.
In many cases, data protection breaches arise as a result of human error. A CybSafe analysis of data breaches reported to the ICO found that 90% of UK data breaches in 2019 were caused by user mistakes. The employees responsible for cybersecurity would, therefore, seem to be failing to adhere to data protection law, but there is much more to it than that.
Despite the high incidence of human error, it is employers who bear the ultimate responsibility for upholding data protection at their companies. This can mean that, when a data breach occurs, organisations may be liable to pay compensation. If you have been affected by a data breach caused by an employee, you can still have every right to make a claim and recover compensation from the organisation as a whole.
A recent postbox theft at a GP surgery in Norwich has demonstrated the sometimes unexpected forms that data crime can come in. In late May, Hellesdon Medical Practice is understood to have informed its patients that a postbox had been stolen by an unknown person, causing a severe data breach due to the private correspondence it contained.
Data security incidents like this may be relatively small in scale compared to the huge cyberattacks affecting large companies in the digital age, but they still have the potential to severely impact the victims. The Hellesdon Medical Practice data breach also raises questions about how we can ensure the security of documents sent in the post, particularly when we don’t have the benefit of firewalls and encryption, as we often do in digital data transfer.
Any data exposure incidents involving physical records should be treated with the seriousness they deserve, as they can still constitute a breach of data protection law. Where a third-party data controller fails to effectively protect your information, you could be eligible to claim compensation for the harm caused.
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