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.
It’s understood that the recently discovered Lancaster University cyber incident may have affected as many as 12,500 people.
The university was hit by what they called a “sophisticated” cyber-attack that had affected the data for some students and applicants. It’s now understood that the number of people whose data may have been exposed in the attack could be as many as 12,500.
Given the volume of people affected, the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) could impose a significant penalty if they find that the university is guilty of breaching GDPR. In terms of justice for the victims, that’s where we come in.
The worries over future hospital cyber-attack incidents are still at the forefront of many minds as more recent research suggests that the industry remains vulnerable to attack.
A recent report from Imperial College London’s Institute of Global Health Innovation (IGHI) included a stark warning about the continued vulnerability for hospitals. With the healthcare sector remaining a prime target as a result of the nature of the data it stores and processes (and the volume of it), this is worrying news.
Healthcare data breach compensation claims remain one of the most common types of cases that we take forward. News that the sector remains vulnerable is a cause for concern.
The recent Lancaster University cyber-attack highlights the need for better defence in the educational sector, as this isn’t the first time a successful attack has taken place that involves a university.
As well as being able to represent anyone affected by the Lancaster incident, we’ve been representing victims of the Greenwich University cyber-attack incident from a few years ago. There have also been cases of other higher education organisations being hit by attacks as well, including Oxford University and Warwick.
As well as highlighting the needs for better defence, we must also make sure that victims of successful data breach incidents know what they can do as well.
Public sector hacks remain one of the more worrying aspects of worldwide data protection issues, and we can tell you from experience that these woes apply here in the UK.
We say this a lot, but the simple fact of the matter is that it’s a worrying truth. One of the most common types of compensation claims we deal with here at the Data Leak Lawyers involve public sector organisations. The most common are medical data breach claims and council data protection cases.
Yet again, we’re hearing the experts voice their concerns when it comes to public sector data protection problems, and it’s important for people to know what to do when their information it misused or exposed.
Official records from NHS Digital reportedly show an alarming number of NHS email cyber-attacks, with the healthcare service said to have been hit by over 11 million in the last three years.
The data for the number of attacks that were successfully blocked was at a staggering 11,352,000 in the last three years. Although we can be positive about the fact that these attacks are those that were successfully stopped, the figures show the significant number of attacks that are taking place, and how much of a target the public healthcare system is.
The NHS was one of the worst-hit victims of the 2017 WannaCry incident as well. With them being such a target, what can be done when successful cyber-attacks take place?
A Medway Council data breach incident has been discovered by a security researcher after “rudimentary” tests found a bug in a system that may have exposed personal data.
Council data breach compensation claims are increasingly common these days, and a lot of it is likely down to a lack of investment in security and technology. One of the most common types of legal cases we take forward involve local authorities or the agencies they employ, and we regularly see these kinds of breach stories hitting the news.
In this case, it appears that an issue with an online inquiry form may have allowed anyone to access the personal information of some residents.
It’s understood that more arrests have been made in relation to the University of South Wales data incident that hit the news a few weeks ago.
There’s limited information about what exactly has happened, other than that an arrest had previously been made as part of ongoing investigations. This month, it’s understood that the police have made two further arrests in connection with the data breach.
Data protection in the education sector is incredibly important. Universities hold a wealth of personal and sensitive information about a large volume of people. It can include medical data and domestic information which is often required as part of meeting students’ individual needs.
We represent people for police-related data incidents, and with this in mind, here’s a number of reasons as to why the recent Eurofins data breach is a worrying one.
In case you’ve not heard of this one, this relates to an organisation that the police outsource forensic work to. Eurofins reportedly process more than 70,000 cases per year, and deal with DNA analysis, toxicology, ballistics and computer forensics. As such, they can be at the heart of investigations into serious crimes, including murder, sexual offences and terrorism.
Worryingly, they were recently hit by a ransomware attack. This has led to a number of concerns about the security and quality of the work they carry out, and has caused significant disruption to police investigations.
The recent record-setting British Airways and Marriott fines that are to be enforced by regulators show the importance of cybersecurity to prevent breaches, and justice for the victims when an incident occurs.
What we saw was two major organisations whose systems were breached when we should be able to expect big corporations to protect our data. We should be able to safely assume that these large, wealthy organisations can – and will – invest in solid cybersecurity. But both have undoubtedly fallen short, and the result is huge fines and claims for compensation for the victims.
The levels of the provisional fines to be enforced shows how seriously the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) is taking breaches of GDPR. The compensation actions that we represent people for are the way forward when it comes to justice for victims, which is not accounted for as part of regulatory fines.
In an age where many local authorities risk data breaches because of a lack of preventative measures, what can victims whose information is misused do about it?
We can’t force local authorities and the agents who work on their behalf to improve their behaviour and help to stop breaches, leaks and hacks. We can’t force them to invest in better technology and qualified staff to ensure their systems are safe and secure.
What we can do is ensure that victims can make a claim for council data breach compensation which acts as a punishment and a deterrent. It also ensures that victims can obtain justice as well, which is something that a GDPR fine doesn’t encompass.
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