Interserve data breach

The Interserve data breach is said to involve around 100,000 people after a cyberattack resulted in access to a human resources database.

Personal and sensitive data looks to have been exposed. Anyone affected by the breach may be entitled to claim data breach compensation, and our team can offer you free, no-obligation advice. We are taking cases forward on a No Win, No Fee basis and, if the breach was preventable, victims could be eligible for damages.

As a leading firm of consumer action and data breach compensation specialists representing thousands of people for cases in this niche and complex area of law, we are here for you.

About the Interserve data breach

So far, Interserve has not released a great deal if information about the data breach. A statement on their website reads as follows:

“Interserve is working closely with the National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC) and Strategic Incident Response teams to investigate, contain and remedy the situation. This will take some time and some operational services may be affected. Interserve has informed the Information Commissioner (ICO) of the incident. We will provide further updates when appropriate.

Interserve’s employees, former employees, clients and suppliers are requested to exercise heightened vigilance during this time.”

According to the Telegraph, the Interserve data breach may have resulted in the information for up to 100,000 people being exposed. It’s understood that hackers gained access to a human resources database with employee information compromised that may include:

• Names and addresses;
• Banking details;
• Payroll and pensions data;
• Contact information for next of kin;
• Human resources records, including absence dates.

The company provides outsourcing services for the government and is understood to maintain public sector infrastructure as well as hospitals and schools. Their site says that they “offer design, construction, equipment, facilities management and frontline public services”. As such, any breach of data that they hold could clearly be serious.

A big data breach

Based on what we know so far, there appears to be little doubt as to how big the Interserve data breach is. With there perhaps being as many as 100,000 people affected, and with personal and sensitive data exposed, the victims could be at an immediate risk of fraud.

Criminals target this kind of data for the very reason that it can be exploited.

In this year alone, we have seen huge data breaches involving Virgin Media, LOQBOX, Marriott (again), and now Interserve; to name a few. This is despite the spate of high-profile breaches that have preceded these events that should have acted as enough of warning for all organisations to take their data protection responsibilities seriously. We also have the GDPR in place which can land data breach offenders with significant fines, as well as the possibility of compensation claims that can hit the billions.

Early estimations of the compensation pay-outs for British Airways could be in the £3bn mark, and they may be in the £4.5bn area for Virgin Media.

Could it have been prevented?

We don’t know enough about how the Interserve data breach happened to know whether it was a preventable incident or not. One of the first things to do when we take legal actions forward is to find out.

If it transpires that more could – and should – have been done to have prevented the cyberattack, that’s when they may find themselves facing a significant fine. Victims of the breach could also be entitled to claim compensation, with data breach amounts based on things like the distress caused by the loss of control of personal information. If losses and expenses are also incurred, we may be able to look to recover damages for those too.

Interserve should be notifying all affected victims of the data breach. If you have received notification that your information has been affected in this incident, we may be able to assist you with a No Win, No Fee compensation case.

All you need to do is contact the team for free, no-obligation advice today.

Mental health apps and concerns over data breaches

easyJet data breach