You could be entitled to claim compensation for leaked information from data breaches, leaks or hacks for any distress or loss that you have suffered from.
We are Your Lawyers – The Data Leak Lawyers – a leading firm of privacy compensation specialists who can represent people for claims in England and Wales on a No Win, No Fee basis. If you have been affected by a data breach, you can speak to our team for free, no-obligation legal advice here now.
The dangers of leaked information from data breaches
The dangers of leaked information from data breaches is one of the core reasons why people can suffer distress when they have lost control over their personal information. Whether it is a case of leaked information from data leaks where details have been accidentally published somewhere, or have been accessible when they should not have been, or where the leak stems from a cyberattack, we must recognise the impact that such misuse and exposure can have on the victims.
In some cases, cyber attackers will threaten to leak information that has been exposed or stolen in a hack and demand a ransom in order to prevent the leak from taking place. In other cases, they may steal information and, after realising that there is no value or ability to sell it to somebody, they may just dump the data online instead.
However it happens, the risks and dangers of leaked information from data breaches is that those whose information is affected have lost the control they are entitled to have over who knows what about them. When it comes to particularly personal and sensitive information, such as medical data or sensitive domestic information, there are good reasons why we want to maintain privacy and confidentiality over such data. When it comes to financial data, there are clear risks of theft and identity fraud if this kind of information is exposed.
Anybody who has been subject to a data breach must be wary of where information could be leaked to and how it could then be misused or exposed. Victims will need to be vigilant to protect themselves against the impact of a data breach.
The GDPR and your right to claim compensation
The GDPR is not just there to enforce good practice and procedures when it comes to protecting information and fairly processing data in the UK. This vital piece of legislation is also there to be used in the event that something goes wrong.
Victims whose information has been misused or exposed can be entitled to claim compensation in accordance with the GDPR. The GDPR can allow people to recover compensation for any distress that has been caused by the loss of control of personal information. Depending on the nature of the data affected, as we have outlined above, could depend on the nature of the distress that has been caused. This is what we consider when it comes to valuing a claim for data breach compensation.
If you have lost money or had to pay out any expenses as a result of a data breach, these can also be considered, but they are not essential to be able to make a claim. Most people will just claim for the distress alone, and our average settlement in terms of data breach damages is just over £6,000 per claimant.
Data protection compensation experts
We are expert data protection compensation lawyers who represent thousands of people who have been affected by data breaches in the UK.
You can speak to our expert team for free, no-obligation legal advice about pursuing a case here now.