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.
We naturally expect that healthcare professionals and their support staff will treat our private data with the respect it deserves, only viewing, accessing or sending information when it is strictly necessary. However, there are unfortunately certain individuals who seek to take advantage of the access they are given. NHS staff misusing information are not only breaking with professional standards, they could also be breaching data protection law.
As leading specialists in data breach claims, we have encountered a number of cases in which patient information has been accessed or processed unlawfully by employees. Using our expertise in this area of law, we remind employees that they cannot get away with the misuse of patient records, ensuring that they face consequences for their actions.
In cases where staff are found guilty of breaching data protection regulations, the victims could be eligible to claim compensation. Medical data is often highly sensitive, and no one should ever be made to feel that such information has been compromised or put a risk. If you have been affected by an incident like this, you can contact us for advice on your potential compensation claim.
The cyber threats to local governments has been present for a number of years, but the current coronavirus crisis has also presented a new opportunity for cybercriminals. As the external threat posed by hackers shows no sign of abetting, it is up to the councils themselves to take action to prevent local government cyberattacks.
With a number of extremely costly data breaches hitting local councils in 2020, local government organisations have been alerted to the risk posed by deficient cybersecurity. Unfortunately, the victims of council data breaches were already all too aware of the consequences of data exposure. We have supported victims in relation to council data breaches many times, and we believe that there is still much to be done to improve local government cybersecurity.
If you have been affected by a data breach of any kind, you may be able to claim compensation for the harm caused. Contact us today to receive free, no-obligation advice on your potential claim.
Hospitals and doctors’ surgeries host visits from large numbers of patients every day, and are treated as places of safety and refuge for those with health issues. Unfortunately, despite the fact that patient-doctor confidentiality is a principle at the heart of the medical profession, some hospitals and healthcare sector organisations are letting down the patients who trust them by failing to protect private data.
We constantly hear how much strain the NHS is under, but the lack of resources and staff is not often seen from the perspective of cybersecurity and data protection. In the wake of the coronavirus outbreak, NHS staff were put under even greater pressure to meet the demands of controlling the virus and, in some cases, data protection has been further neglected.
It is essential that healthcare organisations see data protection as a high priority, or they risk exposing patient data, as has already been the case in many previous healthcare data breaches. Whether it is a case of government funding or internal organisational issues, all healthcare organisations must step up and meet the challenge of the ongoing, and increasing, cybersecurity risks that they face.
In the digital era, private information is stored not only in filing cabinets and on computer hard drives, but also on cloud storage systems. Cloud computing is a key component of many businesses’ digital operations, meaning that many of the companies to which you have disclosed your personal information may choose to store it in a cloud database. When correctly operated, cloud storage systems can be nice and secure but, if not, cloud data leaks can occur, and your data may be at risk of becoming accessible online to unauthorised third parties.
Businesses must take care to implement appropriate security provisions when storing private data in the cloud. Unfortunately, many fail in their data protection responsibilities, leaving your information vulnerable to misuse.
If you have fallen victim to a data breach, you may be able to claim compensation for any harm caused to you. We strongly believe that your data security should never be compromised by a third party, which is why we help victims of data breaches to achieve the justice that they deserve.
Whenever an employee joins a company, they are usually required to disclose a variety of personal details for the purposes of workplace records. In many cases, this data is taken for the employee’s safety, with details such as family contact numbers and health condition information allowing employers to act appropriately in the event of an emergency. However, holding such sensitive information can pose many risks to employees if it becomes exposed. In fact, if they have poor data protection measures, companies risk making their employees vulnerable to workplace discrimination from a data breach if something happens.
Employers have a legal obligation to protect the information of their employees, so they can be held liable when a data breach does occur. We aim to bring victims of data breaches the justice they deserve, so contact us for advice if your personal information has been exposed in your place of work.
With so many NHS employees and resources devoted to suppressing the spread of Covid-19, data security concerns have inadvertently been pushed to one side by healthcare organisations in 2020 in some cases.
It is believed that cybercriminals took advantage of this gap in data protection by launching more attacks on hospitals and other public health organisations. Meanwhile, human error has continued to be a contributing factor, causing several notable healthcare breaches in 2020 also.
The coronavirus pandemic has undoubtedly laid bare the security risks faced by healthcare organisations. Though cyberattack attempts have likely increased during the Covid-19 crisis, healthcare organisations have always been prime targets for cybercriminals, given the sensitivity of the information they hold. As such, the same risks will confront them in the years to come if changes are not made.
We have witnessed first-hand the damage that can be caused by data breaches in our support for the victims. Anyone who has suffered the effects of healthcare data breaches, or any other kind of data breach, may be able to claim compensation for the harm caused.
Councils are often in possession of extensive personal information pertaining to their employees and their residents. Often, councils keep sensitive information belonging to residents in receipt of benefit payments, or to those who have made payments to them, whether this is for a parking fine or for council tax. Council payment data breaches can arise when any information relating to payments to or from residents is exposed.
The wealth of information available at councils can make them prime targets for hackers, but it also means that any human error data breaches caused by employees can have severe implications. For the victims, data exposure can provoke an emotional and financial impact, which is why we help those affected to claim compensation for the harm caused to them.
Each and every third-party data controller has a duty to protect the data entrusted to their care, and they can be held accountable under the law when this duty is neglected. Your Lawyers, as leading data protection lawyers, know what it takes to hold organisations to justice.
A health data breach can have substantial repercussions, both for the healthcare organisation involved and the victims affected. As human error mistakes continue to be made internally, the external cybersecurity threat for healthcare organisations has been reported to be on the rise, meaning that there is immense pressure for these organisations to step up their data protection policies.
The sophistication of modern-day cybercrime simply allows no room for error when it comes to data protection. Unfortunately, as leading specialists in data breach law, we see the same mistakes being made time and time again, which is why we believe it is important to hold organisations to account when they fail to protect personal data.
If you have been caused distress or loss by a health data breach, do not hesitate to contact us for advice on your potential claim.
While it may be difficult to believe that such a needless mistake can breach data protection law, countless data breaches have arisen as a result of files sent to the wrong address. Over email or by post, a minute error like this can allow an unauthorised third party to view personal information which they should never have seen.
The mistake alone can constitute a data protection breach, but further problems can arise when the recipient of the files has malicious intentions. In many cases, the recipient may delete or destroy the files upon request, but not everyone is a good citizen. Sending errors can pose several opportunities for data misuse, such as identity theft, fraud and scams.
As leading specialists in data protection law, we believe that the impact of a data breach should never be underestimated. As such, however small a breach may seem, the data controller responsible should be held accountable for their actions. If you have been affected by a data breach, you may be eligible to make a compensation claim.
In February last year, the Financial Conduct Authority data breach hit the news after the regulator was forced to admit that it had inadvertently exposed confidential consumer information.
The breach represented a humiliating blunder for the FCA, a government watchdog that regulates the UK financial services sector.
Indeed, as an authority that frequently investigates the security and data handling of other organisations, there was an embarrassing irony to the incident for the FCA. Although the data breach took place a year ago, any affected victims may still be eligible to claim compensation. We are still taking on claims, so contact us for advice about your potential claim.
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The biggest data breaches of 2020
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