We focus on the latest news surrounding data breaches, leaks and hacks plus daily internet security articles.
In October last year, Hackney Council announced a data breach after suffering what was described as a severe cyberattack from an unknown source. In the ensuing confusion, the council joined forces with the National Cyber Security Centre in an endeavor to judge the scale of the attack and find its source. It has since been revealed that hackers may have published files that reportedly come from exposed Hackney Council data.
The news is undoubtedly unnerving to those affected, and no one can be sure whether their data has been affected or not. As Hackney Council struggles to get a handle on the breach, leading firm Your Lawyers – The Data Leak Lawyers – are taking on claims for anyone who may have been affected by the leak.
The Surveillance Camera Commissioner, Tony Porter, has recently spoken of his concerns regarding the technology used by local councils and the police to monitor public movements.
As the government watchdog designed to ensure government compliance with the surveillance camera code of practice, it is worrying that the commissioner believes the restrictions on local authorities may not be sufficient.
In particular, Mr Porter reportedly warned that the use of Automatic Number Plate Recognition (ANPR) cameras is unregulated by central government, likening their usage to MI5 tracking. In fact, the security services are subject to much tighter restrictions, while the level of surveillance led by councils and the police appears to be going under the radar.
At Your Lawyers – The Data Leak Lawyers – we always advocate for personal privacy, so it is worrying that the government may be unnecessarily storing data and information pertaining to members of the public.
A big Newcastle City Council data leak occurred three years ago after the personal data of thousands of children and their adoptive parents was sent out in an accidental email attachment.
The email concerned a party invitation sent out to 77 people for the council’s adoption summer party, with the inclusion of an internal spreadsheet that should never have been seen by unauthorised eyes.
In a reason that has become all too common in recent council data leaks, human error was blamed for the incident. Indeed, as this explanation recurs and recurs, it raises questions about how much progress has been made in local government data protection. Further, in today’s turbulent times of coronavirus leading to us all having to adapt to a more remote way of working and living, what else needs to be done to rectify these issues.
A recent meeting of local councillors has reportedly highlighted data security problems that could put the Lichfield District Council in breach of the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR).
The issue surrounds the reported continued use of unencrypted laptops and was raised by Cllr Joanne Grange, who is understood to have expressed concerns that the problems had still not been addressed three years after they were identified in 2017.
It is understood that Cllr Grange suggested that the failure to update working practices in accordance with data protection regulations could be tantamount to “negligence”. Her statements have undoubtedly highlighted some key problems which the council should feel obliged to address as a matter of urgency.
Social services data breaches can be extremely serious. Social services hold information on vulnerable children and their parents, and their job is to protect this information and safeguard the welfare of vulnerable children.
As such, data breaches of this nature can be extremely serious and can put vulnerable people at risk.
Your Lawyers (T/a The Data Leak Lawyers) are highly experienced in the complex area of data breach law as a leading firm in the UK, and we have been representing clients in privacy matters as far back as 2014. We are currently representing victims across dozens of multi-party and group action claims, and our expert team is ready to help you if you have been affected by a data breach; particularly any social services data breaches.
A serious Bristol City Council data breach has occurred, revealing the names of hundreds of disabled children as well as the email addresses for primary care providers.
A spokesperson for Bristol City Council has said that there will be staff training and improved systems and policies put into place to prevent any similar breaches from occurring in the future. We question why such measures were not already in place, and it has been suggested that the breach was the result of employee error.
We know how scary it is to have such sensitive data breached, and we can help you make a compensation claim to get you the justice you deserve.
A housing customer data breach can be extremely concerning to residents as they can easily expose highly sensitive data.
Information involved can include personal information such as names and addresses, as well as sensitive and protected information like sexual orientation, disabilities, ethnic origins, and more.
Data of this nature that is exposed can leave victims not only vulnerable to fraud, phishing scams, cold callers, and identity theft, but also to malicious attacks. This kind of information in the wrong hands could be the basis for racist or malicious incidents, so it is important that we address such risks.
We can represent clients for compensation claims that can arise from an online council data leak. We can take forward eligible clients for cases on a No Win, No Fee basis.
One of the more common types of cases that we take forward are for council data breach compensation claims. They can be common given the nature and the extent of the information that they hold, which can lead to significant distress and problems for victims if it is ever exposed or misused.
Here is some brief guidance about how we may be able to help you. To speak to our team now for a free and no-obligation claims assessment, please don’t hesitate to contact us now.
In our view, the Flintshire Council data breach that led to the personal details of people being accidentally leaked online was another avoidable incident.
Despite the GDPR and the lessons that could – and should – have been learned from similar incidents in the past that have affected public and private organisations alike, these simple and avoidable leaks continue to take place.
As a leading firm of data breach lawyers, we are used to taking council data breach compensation claims forward because of how often these kinds of incidents take place. At a time when we should be seeing fewer of these kinds of leaks, we continue to take on significant numbers of new legal cases.
You could be eligible to claim compensation for a breach that has arisen from a council email data leak, and we may be able to represent you on a No Win, No Fee basis.
In this article, we will look at some common examples, as well as defining what a data leak compensation claim actually is. You can also speak to our team today for free and no-obligation advice about your options for justice here as well.
As a leading firm of data breach compensation lawyers, we’re here to help.
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