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Unprotected database containing 10 million U.S. vehicle owners’ personal details leaked

Approximately 10 million U.S. vehicle owners’ personal data was left exposed after a massive database containing their information was leaked.

Security researchers from Kromtech Security found the unprotected database split into three main sections which is thought to contain ‘critical and sensitive information’. The first section includes names, addresses, home and work numbers, dates of birth, gender and the number of children over 12 years old.

This information is thought to have been extracted from numerous U.S. based car dealerships.
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70% of smartphone users sharing more personal information through apps than they realise

Smart phones and apps; again…

Data researchers have found that a large majority of people are installing mobile applications on their phones without realising just how much data they’re sharing. Whilst the apps are required to seek permission before accessing certain information, it has transpired that some apps may be accessing more than users are aware of.
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Are hacked passwords the crux to data breaches?

According to security and risk management company CSO, hacked passwords are reportedly the cause of 81% of data breaches.

Some may then say “users/individuals should be more cautious about what passwords they use” – but what about the responsibility of businesses and organisations to ensure the safety of their users’ personal data?

The impact of one person’s compromised credentials could be felt far and wide…
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Several mainstream apps pay $5.3 million settlement for illegally accessing iOS users’ contacts list

Several popular applications were accused of accessing iPhone user contact address books without their knowledge or consent between 2009 and 2012.

Twitter, Instagram, Yelp and Foursquare are among the companies whose apps were accused of the data breach, and many complaints were made that the practice was a breach of personal privacy. With the number of people affected, the matter was brought to the attention of regulators who found that the social network platform Path were liable for breaches, and a huge settlement has been made.
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UK charities fined for misusing donors’ private information

11 UK charities have been fined for breaching data protection laws.

11 of the UK’s top charities have been fined for misusing their donors’ (aka individuals who donate) personal information. The Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) have issued fines to the charities for alleged misconduct and breaching the Data Protection act.
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Exam Board, AQA, reportedly compromised 64,000 examiners’ personal details

A school examining board has recently fallen victim to a mass data breach, compromising approximately 64,000 current and former examiners’ personal information.

AQA’s online systems were reportedly hacked on the 21^st March 2017. These online systems stored examiners’ name, addresses, personal phone numbers, and passwords. The examining board were quick to stress that the attacked systems didn’t store any financial details or any personal data of the schools, pupils or exam material.
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95,000 McDonald’s applicants personal information hacked

Food for thought: McDonald’s is the next big corporation to fall victim to a major cyber-attack.

A McDonald’s Canadian unit said that 95,000 job applications were compromised from a cyber-attack that took place on the 31^st March. It’s believed that the cyber-attackers retrieved information such as names, addresses, email addresses, phone numbers, and employment backgrounds from a careers website.

The users affected by the hack are said to be candidates who applied for jobs at one of Canadian branches between March 2014 and March 2017.
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Concerns over NHS plans to move all sensitive patient data up into the Cloud!

We have all heard of the online Cloud data storage; but pardon our old fashioned pessimism, but it sounds like a disaster waiting to happen!

It seems a far-fetched suggestion to trust all of your sensitive data to be stored in something that was named after floating wisps in the air that come and go depending on the weather. With all the data leak incidents and scandals erupting left, right and centre… we can’t be blamed for our scepticism when it comes to uploading personal information on the World Wide Web.

If it’s on the internet, surely hackers will always find their way in? So how is our sensitive medical date ever going to be safe when it’s all accessible online?
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What to do if a debt recovery company has leaked my private information

As a hard-and-fast rule, companies have a responsibility under the Data Protection Act (DPA) to use and store sensitive information correctly. Although the law is there, not all organisations successfully uphold the regulations they’re supposed to.

So, in this example, what can you do if a debt recover company has leaked your private information? Do you have a valid claim for Data Leak Compensation?
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Two former employees were fined by the ICO for misusing personal information

Two former employees who worked at a UK based claims management company illegally obtained information from a car hire company and then used this information to blag calls to an insurance company to illegally obtain personal information of drivers.

They did this in order to try and sell this personal information to solicitors. We ourselves have never bought claims, and never will!

The information included policy holders information and their recent and/or historic road traffic accidents. Within that information, the policy holders’ names, addresses, and contact details would likely have been accessed too.
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