Suspected Dorset Council data breach

A suspected Dorset Council data breach has been reported in the media at the back end of 2021, although little is known yet about the finer details of the incident.

We know that the matter has been reported to the regulators, and that apologies have been made. If personal and sensitive information has been misused or exposed, this could cause significant distress to anyone affected.

Your Lawyers, as leading Data Leak Lawyers, are used to representing people for council data breach compensation cases. Anyone affected by such an incident can access free, no-obligation legal advice from our expert team here now.

What we know about the suspected Dorset Council data breach

Based on reports in the Bournemouth Echo that were published at the back of 2021, what we learned was that a suspected Dorset Council data breach looks to have been reported to the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO). The ICO is the UK’s data watchdog and is responsible for regulation and supervision when it comes to data protection here in the UK. It is also responsible for issuing monetary penalties in the wake of established breaches, so a fine could ensue if information has been exposed.

It is understood that the suspected Dorset Council data breach was spotted in or around September 2021, and it has reportedly been flagged as “amber” in terms of the authority’s risk grading. It is not yet known how serious this could be, or whether we may be facing a scenario in which people’s personal and private information has been misused or exposed.

The Bournemouth Echo reported that a council spokesperson had this to say in the wake of the news of the suspected Dorset Council data breach:

“When we learnt that there had been a breach we apologised to the person concerned, informed the Information Commissioner’s Office and took steps to ensure that we learnt from the mistake…

“We consider that the Commissioner is likely to categorise the breach as low risk.”

This suggests, on the face of things, that there may only be one person affected. However, we do not yet know how serious the matter still could be, or whether it could be more widespread. It is not unknown for one data breach incident to then lead to the realisation that many more have occurred and that many more people could be affected. At this stage, we simply do not know and must wait for further updates.

The seriousness of council data breaches

Council data breach compensation claims can be some of the most serious and sensitive that we represent people for. This is because local authorities typically store and process a wealth of very personal and sensitive information, and it can range across the whole “spectrum”, so to speak. It can include the usual personal and contact data, as well as financial and medical information, and sensitive domestic details. What this means is that, if it is ever misused or exposed, it could cause significant distress to those affected.

When it comes to pursuing a data breach claim for compensation, most cases are based on a claim for the distress caused by the loss of control of personal information. Generally speaking, the more personal and sensitive the data is, the greater the impact can be. This can then directly impact the data breach compensation amounts that could then be awarded.

No Win, No Fee legal representation

Anyone affected by a local authority data breach, or one involving any other type of organisation, could be entitled to pursue a claim for data breach compensation.

For eligible clients, we are able to offer No Win, No Fee legal representation.

For free, no-obligation advice, please do not hesitate to contact our team here now.

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