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.
In June 2018, Ticketmaster revealed that a security incident had affected its website, causing the personal information of customers to be exposed. Discovered on 23rd June, the information was exposed due to the actions of an external hacker, but questions were raised regarding how far the incident had been caused by Ticketmaster’s own alleged negligence. We began taking on claims soon after the breach was announced, and we are now running our Ticketmaster data group action to ensure that those affected can receive the compensation that they deserve.
The breach has potentially demonstrated how insufficient cybersecurity could be responsible for mass information exposure. Thousands of customers had sensitive payment details exposed as a result of what we understand to be a system vulnerability, so we believe that Ticketmaster must answer for what has happened.
If you have been affected by this data breach, you can contact our team to find out if you have a compensation claim to make.
A woman has recently reported receiving the coronavirus test result of another unknown woman, reportedly sent in a text message by the NHS. Not only did the text reveal the negative test status of the unknown woman, it is understood that it also listed her full name, birth date and the result of her test. The recipient of the message has expressed concern that such a data breach was allowed to occur, particularly given that she took a coronavirus test in early January.
Concerns about data privacy have been linked to the Test and Trace system since its beginnings, with several data breach incidents linked to the scheme, including a major error by Public Health Wales. It is concerning that data privacy has fallen short on occasions in the effort to control the Covid-19 outbreak, especially given that mistakes such as misdirected texts can be so easily avoided.
The Test and Trace system may be designed to protect public health, but that does not mean data breaches like this can go unnoticed.
In the worst cases, data breaches can involve highly sensitive information, compromising the privacy and safety of some of the most vulnerable people in our society. In particular, social services breaches often affect the most vulnerable victims, leaving them open to even more risks than they already face.
Generally run by local councils, social services offer support to their local communities, whether this is providing assistance for people with disabilities, running care homes, or setting up domestic abuse support groups. While social services are absolutely essential to ensuring the safety and well-being of the people under their care, this protection can break down when a data breach occurs.
Anyone who has been let down by a social services data breach may be able to claim compensation for the harm caused.
Although no formal incident has occurred, statements made by ex-employees have given rise to Amazon data breach concerns. Describing the attitudes to personal data, one of the former employees, who previously held high-profile positions, reportedly noted that Amazon is unaware if it is protecting information correctly. The coverage suggested that Amazon does not have a handle on the huge quantities of data it has aggregated, which is a worrying thought given the company’s status as one of the largest businesses in the world.
The insider perspectives provide no confirmation of breaches of data protection law, but it is nevertheless worrying to think that the concerns of security experts were reportedly dismissed during time spent at Amazon. As a leading international e-commerce company, million of users visit Amazon sites all the time.
Holding millions of customers’ information, the data protection responsibilities of Amazon are monumental. As such, if a breach were to occur, the effects could be devastating. As leading specialists in data breach claims, we want to see that all companies are taking their duties seriously, as we know how serious the repercussions can be for victims who have their information exposed.
In late February, it was revealed that some customers of energy company Npower had suffered hacks of their accounts via the customer app that affected its users’ private data. The company has not put a number on the victims affected, but it is believed that the attack took place in early February, after which those affected were notified of their involvement. It is currently understood that Npower is not to blame for the hack, with no evidence that the company has breached data protection law. We will outline how the hacks happened in this article. Nevertheless, those with hacked Npower accounts are at immediate risk of fraud, with criminals targeting accounts to try to break into them as opposed to successfully breaking into Npower’s own servers and systems.
As advocates of data security, we believe it is important to highlight the risks Npower app users have been exposed to, even where the company is found to not be at fault for what has happened. Even if you have not been affected by the cyberattack, it still offers a valuable lesson about the risks of data exposure and the actions we can take as individuals to protect our personal data, and how criminals can target accounts to break into them.
Since the onset of the Covid-19 pandemic, the risks to cybersecurity have been widely perceived as greater. Cybercriminals have been taking advantage of poor data protection methods whilst also enhancing their methods of attack. We cannot yet fully assess the impact of Covid on data protection right now, but we can examine the evolving threat levels and look at how consumer attitudes to data have changed over the course of the pandemic.
Awareness of data security has always varied from person to person. Your Lawyers – The Data Leak Lawyers – as leading specialists in data breach law, we believe that each person should know about their right to good data protection. In the event of a data breach, this knowledge can be essential in ensuring companies are held to account for their errors. We support thousands of people in their fight to recover compensation following data breaches, and we want to make sure the data protection errors made during the coronavirus pandemic do not go unnoticed.
Despite the introduction of the GDPR in 2018, many data controllers still neglect their duties, and personal data continues to be exposed. It is important to hold companies accountable for data protection breaches and compensation claims can help to ensure that the responsible parties suffer repercussions for their actions.
Moreover, victims of data protection breaches deserve to be fairly compensated for any harm they have suffered, as it can be incredibly worrying and stressful to have your data exposed to potential misuse. Your Lawyers – The Data Leak Lawyers – as leading, specialists in data breach claims, use our expertise to ensure our clients can receive the most compensation possible.
If we were to ask employers about the employee data that they hold, most might come up with a long list of personal details. Lots of employee information is made up of basic details, such as contact numbers, bank account numbers and National Insurance numbers. However, the HR department often stores more in-depth records relating to issues such as workplace disputes, employee complaints, mediation matters, and counselling details. This is where the possibility of workplace disciplinary data leaks can be worrying, and medical and diversity data could also be at risk.
When disciplinary action is taken against employees, it will typically be handled privately and quietly, and should be kept this way to protect those affected. However, this privacy can be compromised when a data breach occurs, severely undermining the integrity of the disciplinary process.
Even where wrong has been done, disciplinary information should not be subjected to public exposure. Anyone who has fallen victim to a data leak such as this may be entitled to claim compensation for the harm caused.
Despite the growing threat of cybercrime, many people are still unaware of the risks posed to their personal data, and the damage that can be done when they fail to take action following a data breach. Many people may be familiar with the typical data breach notification emails that companies send out to affected victims, but some may not quite register how serious a data breach can be for the victims.
Your Lawyers – The Data Leak Lawyers – as leading specialists in data breach law, want to make sure that everyone knows their rights in the wake of a data breach, and is aware of how to avoid any consequent risks. We know that it can be hard to navigate the stressful aftermath period, particularly when the company at fault is seeking to escape all blame for the breach. As such, we want to offer people a simple guide to the steps you can take after a data breach.
The cyber threats to local governments has been present for a number of years, but the current coronavirus crisis has also presented a new opportunity for cybercriminals. As the external threat posed by hackers shows no sign of abetting, it is up to the councils themselves to take action to prevent local government cyberattacks.
With a number of extremely costly data breaches hitting local councils in 2020, local government organisations have been alerted to the risk posed by deficient cybersecurity. Unfortunately, the victims of council data breaches were already all too aware of the consequences of data exposure. We have supported victims in relation to council data breaches many times, and we believe that there is still much to be done to improve local government cybersecurity.
If you have been affected by a data breach of any kind, you may be able to claim compensation for the harm caused. Contact us today to receive free, no-obligation advice on your potential claim.
EasyJet admits data of nine million hacked
British Airways data breach: How to claim up to £6,000 compensation
Are you owed £5,000 for the Virgin Media data breach?
Virgin Media faces £4.5 BILLION in compensation payouts
BA customers given final deadline to claim compensation for data breach
Shoppers slam Morrisons after loyalty points stolen
Half a million customers can sue BA over huge data breach
Lawyers accuse BA of 'swerving responsibility' for data breach
The biggest data breaches of 2020
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