Welcome To The Data Leak Lawyers Blog

NHS outsourcing and the dangers of data breaches

The NHS budget is a hotly-debated topic. Cuts, cuts and more cuts have led to some services being squeezed beyond measure, and the obvious truth is that cost-cutting can directly lead to increased chances of mistakes.

Last year, one huge case of cost-cutting seemingly led to a monumental data breach scenario and millions of pounds being paid to pick up the pieces. In 2017 it was revealed that more than 500,000 pieces of patient information in the five year period between 2011 and 2016 had been lost as a result of outsourcing. Such sensitive data being lost is a huge issue.
read more

By Author

South African data breach compromises 30 million personal records

Creator and founder of HaveIBeenPwned.com, Troy Hunt, discovered yet another data dump last year. This one reportedly contained personal data belonging to millions in this staggering South African data breach.

At the time of discovery, the information was available from an online public database back-up file and even came with a smaller compressed version. Anyone on the site could download the information.
read more

By Author

U.S. Supreme Court may be leaning towards increasing digital data protection; and the U.K. should follow

The Supreme Court justices were engaged in a lively debate over whether the government and law enforcement should be able to access huge amounts of digital data without a warrant. A majority of those involved in the debate appeared to agree that it would be very concerning and goes against data protection rules.

The U.S. Fourth amendment was mentioned a few times, citing an individual’s right to be protected from, “unreasonable searches and seizures by the government”. However, the key element here is whether a search is reasonable or unreasonable.
read more

By Author

Most U.K. citizens don’t trust organisations and businesses with their personal data

The Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) conducted a study to see how U.K. citizens feel about their personal data being shared with organisations and businesses, and the results reflect an inherent mistrust and lack of confidence in how their data is being stored and handled.

The results of the study are likely to have been influenced by the colossal and numerous high-profile data breaches in the last couple of years that have seen millions of people have their personal data breached time and time again.
read more

By Author

New ICO powers to fine organisations up to £17 million

Law changes in the coming months mean that the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) enforcement powers will no longer be subject to a maximum penalty fine of only £500,000. If any person, company or organisation is found to have breached Data Protection laws in the U.K., they may find themselves slapped with a much heftier fine.

The new maximum fine can be 4% of the company’s global turnover or €20million (almost £17million); whichever is the largest.

The government is introducing this as they adopt stricter E.U. laws for data protection into U.K. legislation. Despite Brexit, the government have said that the new regulation will be implemented by May 2018 in any event.
read more

By Author

Sex toy company Lovense “secretly recorded intimate sessions” through its vibrators

Our Data Leak Team are already representing a large group of victims of the We-Vibe data breach scandal. The trend of sex toy data breaches is alarming.

Lovense has admitted that its mobile phone app has been secretly recording audio files while its vibrators were in use.

The company has blamed a “minor software bug” for the apparently unintentional recordings.

Several users reportedly made the horrifying discovery when they spotted unusual sound files stored on their phones. As you can imagine, this is a huge cause for concern and can amount to a misuse of private information.
read more

By Author

What are the risks of data theft?

With big data comes big risks…

This is even more the case in today’s growing digital era. Any company or organisation can be at risk of data theft if they’re not careful. That’s why cybersecurity is crucial to ensure that any risk of data theft is kept at a minimum. It’s not just about working hard to prevent cyber-theft, but it’s about working smart to stay one step ahead of the game.

The risks are huge.
read more

By Author

Police data breaches compensation claims

So, what happens when the Police are the ones who break the law and potentially cause harm to us?

Whenever there is trouble, the police are the first people we think of to call for help. They’re here to keep us safe, and we’re all very grateful for the work they do. They come to our aid when we need them. They put their lives and bodies on the line to keep the public safe. They put dangerous criminals behind bars to protect us.

Unfortunately, however, they have been known to breach our trust by leaking personal sensitive information…
read more

By Author

Charity worker prosecuted for sending confidential information about vulnerable people to himself

Robert Morrisey was prosecuted by Preston Crown Court for sending confidential information about 183 people to his personal computer.

At the time of the breach, Morrisey was working as a mentoring co-ordinator for Rochdale connections Trust charity.

In copying the sensitive information without permission or the knowledge of his employer, Morrisey lost his job. He also lost his position as a Magistrate and was ordered to pay over £1,800.00.
read more

By Author

Is the ethical handling of data the new moral responsibility for businesses and organisations? Could it help gain a competitive advantage?

The ethical handling of data has always been the aim of data protection watchdogs and officials. Companies and organisations have the responsibility to handle data securely under the Data Protection Act (DPA), but there is a term known as ‘ethically handling data‘ that’s growing in popularity.

The difference with ethical handling of data and normal handling of data goes beyond privacy, some believe. It’s about whether customers are aware of how their data will be used and how it will be protected from third parties above and beyond what anyone would generally assume.
read more

By Author