As a leading firm of privacy compensation specialists, we know all too well about the major risks of data breaches and the impact they can have on the victims.
We represent thousands of people for individual data claims and in group action matters, and we have been doing for almost a decade. Our enviable position in this niche and complex area of law means that we have the expertise to fight for the right to compensation when information has been misused and/or exposed.
Feel free to talk to our team for free, no-obligational legal advice here now.
The major risks of data breaches
Ultimately, the major risks of data breaches cannot be understated. All organisations that store and process personal information must do everything they can to protect the data in their charge and to make sure that it is stored and processed safely and fairly. The GDPR stipulates that information must only be stored and processed when it is required, and cybersecurity is a responsibility on any organisation to prevent third-party threat actors from gaining access to information.
Hackers spend a considerable amount of their time looking for weaknesses in defences to exploit so they can steal information. They also use the same tactics that security researchers do to identify problems and issues so they can exploit them. What this means is that there can be no complacency when it comes to cybersecurity and the defences in place for systems and servers. Any defence is only as good as its weakest link, and it only takes one weak link for hackers to exploit.
Some organisations must be more careful than others because of the nature of the information that they store and process. Hackers will target what they deem to be valuable information and this could include medical data and financial and banking information. Medical data can be valuable because it can be used to hold companies or victims to ransom on the threat of exposure of information unless demands are met. Banking and financial data can be used to try to commit fraud and theft.
No organisation can afford to ignore the major risks of data breaches in our increasingly digitised society. Cybersecurity and data protection should already be one of the priorities of any organisation across the board.
Your compensation rights enshrined in law
Whilst we know about the major risks of data breaches, it is also important to talk about people’s rights in the event that information is misused or exposed. The GDPR can entitle the victim of a data breach to claim compensation for any distress that they have suffered from that has been caused by the loss of control of their personal information. If losses and expenses are also a factor, these can be considered.
The distress element is what we might refer to as “injury to feelings”. It can be incredibly distressing to lose control of information that you want to make sure that only you have the right to disclose and use. At the same time, it can be incredibly worrying to know that information could be misused by criminals and fraudsters to try to target us. This is why victims can be eligible to claim for such distress and why we represent victims for claims who are eligible on a No Win, No Fee basis.
Claim compensation for a personal data leak
You could be eligible to claim compensation for a personal data leak incident, and we may be able to represent you for a case on a No Win, No Fee basis.
You can access expert legal help from our team who will be more than happy to provide free, no-obligation legal advice – contact us here for more information.