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.
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.
If you’ve been the victim of an NHS cybersecurity breach, it’s important to know what you can do in terms of your rights for legal justice.
The NHS is a huge target for cybercriminals, and a lot of this stems from a lack of infrastructure and investment. It takes the government to ensure that the NHS is properly equipped to defend itself in the digital age, and it appears that they’re still falling short.
For the victims whose information is misused and / or compromised, it’s important to know what can be done when it comes to medical data breach compensation claims.
Just two days after the announcement of the huge BA data breach fine to the tune of £183m, the Marriott data breach fine is reportedly going to be set at £99m.
These are real statements of intent from the UK’s data watchdog, the ICO (the Information Commissioner’s Office).
When GDPR came into force last year, there was little doubt about the responsibilities that organisations have when it comes to data protection, and the punishments for failure are clear. We’re pleased with the announcement of another huge fine, and as always, we continue to bring the fights for justice for the victims who deserve compensation for the loss of control of their personal information.
For the victim, stolen medical data can lead to a significant amount of distress, and there can be a huge number of risks if your private and sensitive information has been exposed.
We know that criminals and fraudsters target medical data because it can be valuable to them for a number of reasons. It can be used for ransom and identity theft, or even for criminals to produce forged documents like receipts and prescriptions. The so-called ‘dark web’ is reportedly rife with medical data that’s up for sale.
As a victim, what can you do if your medical data is stolen? Can you be eligible to make a claim for medical data breach compensation?
A senior nurse caught snooping on medical records has reportedly been suspended in yet another case of an NHS employee abusing their rights of information access.
Carol Anne Rodda, in her capacity working for University Hospitals Coventry and Warwickshire NHS Trust data breach, has reportedly been suspended for 12 months for a number of breaches. A number of the medical records data breach compensation claims we take forward involve healthcare employees improperly accessing information, so we know how bad these kinds of incidents can be.
There have been a number of occasions where the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) has been forced to take action against staff for snooping. The ICO has also had to issue warnings because of so many instances of it happening.
EasyJet admits data of nine million hacked
British Airways data breach: How to claim up to £6,000 compensation
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