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.
Serving millions of patients across the UK, the NHS stores swathes of medical records in its databases. When correctly configured and protected, these databases can ensure that patients’ records are not subjected to unauthorised access or misuse. But, when errors are made, leaving patient records unsecured can have profound consequences for those affected.
The sensitivity of medical data can make it a prime target for hackers and fraudsters, so healthcare organisations have a duty to their patients to ensure that no private records fall into the wrong hands. However, even minor cybersecurity mistakes have been known to cause mass information exposure in the NHS.
Those affected by healthcare data breaches can be severely affected, but making a claim can enable victims to recover compensation for the harm caused. We have helped many victims of medical data breaches to make compensation claims, so contact us for free, no-obligation advice if you think you may have a claim to make.
A report by The Register has revealed that text messages sent by council agents en masse to UK taxpayers may have been exposing their personal data to unrestricted access. The external agency Telsolutions Ltd reportedly developed the SMS system for the purposes of chasing debts, but allegedly failed to impose basic security measures. This has apparently made it easy for users to manipulate the links sent in the text messages. This example of a council debt chasing data breach could, therefore, be a sign of a fundamentally inadequate approach to data protection.
It is unclear if anyone took advantage of the security loophole, and if so, how many people chose to do so. Nevertheless, its existence can be enough to cause concern for anyone contacted by local councils in this manner, particularly given the vulnerable situations some alleged tax defaulters may be in.
Your Lawyers, as specialists in data protection law, is disappointed to hear that a number of councils may have again failed to take the precautions necessary to protect their residents’ private information. We help data breach victims to claim compensation for the harm caused, so you can contact us for advice if you think you may have a claim to make.
In many cases, the costly repercussions of data breaches can push the companies involved to make improvements to their cybersecurity and data protection measures to ensure that the same mistakes are not made again. However, some companies have succumbed to multiple cyberattacks, failing to learn from the failures that brought about the first attack, even in cases where the initial data breach was widely publicised.
If a company has been subjected to multiple cyberattacks, it would suggest that it has not been put under enough to pressure to change their ways. At Your Lawyers – The Data Leak Lawyers – as leading data compensation experts, we believe that good data protection is non-negotiable. This is why we aim to use our legal know-how to hold data controllers responsible for their actions.
In a data breach claim, you could be eligible to recover compensation for the damage caused to you by the exposure of your private information, so contact us if you think you have a right to justice.
Healthcare organisations hold a vast array of different data about their patients, most of which is highly private and sensitive. Confidential medical information should be safeguarded by the principle of doctor-patient confidentiality, as well as by strong data protection measures. Unfortunately, the number of cybercriminals targeting medical data appears to be on the rise around the globe.
With medical information a prime target, it is important that all healthcare organisations ensure that their systems are secure, and that employees abide by strict data protection procedures. However, in too many cases, there appears to be holes in the defences that put patient data at risk.
Any patient that has been made vulnerable to data misuse by the errors of a healthcare organisation may be able to claim compensation for the harm caused. If you think that you may have a claim to make, you can contact us for free, no-obligation advice on your potential compensation claim.
Many fall into the trap of regarding human errors and cyberattacks as distinct causes of data breaches but, in many cases, they can be closely linked. In fact, human errors can leave data controllers vulnerable to cyberattacks. Where private information has been unjustly put at risk, the organisation responsible may have breached data protection law.
Unfortunately, third-party data controllers may try to blame their negligence on the increasing sophistication of cybercrime, but we believe that they must be held accountable for any mistakes. If you have fallen victim to a data breach as a result of the actions of a third party, you may be entitled to claim compensation for the harm caused.
Neither human errors nor cyberattacks should be brushed to the side as unfortunate accidents, and you deserve justice for the exposure of your personal data. Your Lawyers, as leading Data Leak Lawyers, are here to help you now.
The police have unique rights when it comes to processing and viewing personal information, but that does not mean that there are no limits governing their access to private data. In fact, because they have important legal responsibilities, and the data they can access is so sensitive, it is even more vital that they follow strict data protection rules. Misusing police computers can, therefore, be a serious offence.
We naturally trust the police to keep personal information secure by means of technical cybersecurity measures. Just as importantly, we expect it to be protected in accordance with their assumed integrity and professional standards. When a police officer breaches this duty, the effects can be devastating for those affected, particularly for crime victims in cases where the exposed information relates to a sensitive and traumatic incident.
If you have been affected by a police data breach, you may be entitled to claim compensation for the harm caused. No police officer should be exempt from justice when it comes to data privacy breaches. Your Lawyers, as leading Data Leak Lawyers, are here to help.
NHS test and trace contact centres have been implicated in a security controversy, after concerns were raised that staff have been using their personal email addresses for sending private health data, according to Healthcare IT News.
The test and trace scheme has been subjected to data security criticisms since its beginnings. Some worries look to have been proven right, given that a number of data breaches have exposed coronavirus test results over the past year. With the medical sector already a prime target for hackers, it seems clear to us that more needs to be done.
While the Covid-19 pandemic has challenged NHS staff and resources, it is still unacceptable that data security has been allowed to slip, particularly given that the pandemic has seen a spike in the occurrence of cyberattacks. Where sensitive medical information is at stake, there can be no room for error.
A Chorley Council data breach has recently been reported after it was revealed that thousands of members of the public may have had their details exposed by the local authority. The incident appears to be yet another example of the damage that can be done to information security when employees make misjudgements.
Unfortunately, the incident at Chorley Council is only one in a long list of data breaches to have been caused by human error at local government bodies generally. Councils like Chorley should be striving to break with this trend, but there has unfortunately been little progress in terms of data protection it seems.
In the UK, all third-party data controllers are obliged to comply with the GDPR in their protection of the information that they hold and process. If they fail to do so, they can be held accountable, and those affected may have a right to make a compensation claim.
In 2017, it was reported that West Midlands Police officers had been responsible for as many as 24 data breaches in just one year. For the most part, the West Midlands Police data breaches were reportedly caused by the inappropriate disclosure of private information.
The breaches, which are understood to have occurred over the course of 2016, show the significant role that human error can play in causing information security incidents. While the West Midlands Police did not reveal specifics of the individual cases, it is nevertheless concerning that officers with access to such sensitive information were not being more diligent in their data protection duties.
For their crime fighting duties, the police force necessarily hold a great deal of sensitive information, so it essential that there are robust defences in place to prevent this data from being exposed. Sometimes, when the police fail in their data protection duties, it can cause immense distress to those affected and can even compromise their personal safety. To us, it is important that all police data breaches are thoroughly scrutinised, which is why we can offer free, no-obligation advice to anyone affected by an incident like this.
Three years have passed since the NHS Digital data breach was reported, in a wide-reaching incident affecting around 150,000 patients across the country. Patients affected had chosen to opt-out from their medical information being used for non-care related purposes, but a mistake made by the IT and data branch of the NHS caused their requests to not be upheld.
Medical details represent perhaps the most sensitive type of personal information about us, so health professionals and services owe an important duty to their patients to protect this information and keep it confidential. This includes giving patients the option to choose how their data is processed and used, empowering them to take control of data disclosure. As such, when the health service fails to observe the choices of patients, it can be an indication of inept and inadequate data protection.
We began taking on claims for those affected by the NHS Digital data breach soon after it came to light, and we can still register claims despite the time that has elapsed since the incident. Contact us now to receive free, no-obligation advice on your claim.
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