We focus on the latest news surrounding data breaches, leaks and hacks plus daily internet security articles.
Remote working has been a key security focus for some companies for a number of years, but the coronavirus pandemic has led to many more businesses adopting homeworking as a long-term practice. For some, remote working has longevity beyond social distancing restrictions. However, it can come with cybersecurity concerns, such that businesses must ensure they are effectively managing the risks of remote workers exposing data.
As well as the external cybersecurity threats to company servers, there is also a risk that undisciplined employees may make mistakes when they are no longer working in a controlled environment. Even the simplest of errors or oversights could allow sensitive information to become vulnerable.
Unfortunately, when the transition was made to remote working, some companies failed to make the cybersecurity adjustments required. Going forward, it is important that every company adapts their data protection strategies to the demands of remote working, or they may risk information exposure.
It will have been hard to miss the major news that hit the mainstream media over the last couple of weeks. The latest Tesco cyberattack appears to have now concluded, and the news so far looks to suggest that it was a near-miss event.
Hopefully, this will mean that no one will have to endure their personal information being misused or exposed. Anyone who is the victim of a data breach can be entitled to claim compensation for the loss of control of their personal information if this happens.
As we mark Cybersecurity month 2021 this October, we will talk about how we can help the victims of data breaches, leaks and hacks, and the important work that we do to hold organisations to account for data protection and privacy failures.
Victims of a data breach can be eligible to claim data breach compensation. Depending on how you have been affected by a breach, you could be eligible to receive thousands of pounds in data breach damages.
When it comes to what we do, our experience speaks for itself. Read on for more information.
A report by The Register has revealed that text messages sent by council agents en masse to UK taxpayers may have been exposing their personal data to unrestricted access. The external agency Telsolutions Ltd reportedly developed the SMS system for the purposes of chasing debts, but allegedly failed to impose basic security measures. This has apparently made it easy for users to manipulate the links sent in the text messages. This example of a council debt chasing data breach could, therefore, be a sign of a fundamentally inadequate approach to data protection.
It is unclear if anyone took advantage of the security loophole, and if so, how many people chose to do so. Nevertheless, its existence can be enough to cause concern for anyone contacted by local councils in this manner, particularly given the vulnerable situations some alleged tax defaulters may be in.
Your Lawyers, as specialists in data protection law, is disappointed to hear that a number of councils may have again failed to take the precautions necessary to protect their residents’ private information. We help data breach victims to claim compensation for the harm caused, so you can contact us for advice if you think you may have a claim to make.
NHS CCTV cameras have reportedly been embroiled in a hack affecting security footage across the globe, after security company Verkada is understood to have been breached by hackers. It is said that live streams for as many as 150,000 Closed-Circuit Television (CCTV) cameras may have been viewed by unauthorised users.
Serving organisations include prisons, general businesses, schools and even psychiatric hospitals. The breach of Verkada’s cameras may have exposed the identities of many people working in, living in, or visiting affected institutions.
It is unclear exactly which feeds hackers may have viewed and what they gleaned from the footage, but it is nevertheless worrying to learn that a security firm has been subjected to such a wide-reaching breach. There is currently no evidence that any NHS camera feeds were viewed by hackers, but Verkada lists the NHS as one of its clients on the company website. Hackers have also claimed that they have been able to access the cameras of any of the affected organisations.
As a standard recommendation of IT professionals and security specialists, many of us will be aware that it is advisable to use a range of passwords, but we believe that the importance of this advice cannot be understated. Many studies have shown that people continue to risk their data security by reusing passwords across their online accounts, and this is dangerous.
There is now a whole subsection of cybercrime built around the theft and misuse of account credentials, so it is vital that consumers do not put themselves at greater risk by reusing passwords.
Personal information is a highly valuable resource to cybercriminals, and passwords can be particularly profitable, given that they can sometimes unlock private accounts containing further personal information. A password is meant to be a key form of protection, so why are we compromising this security technique by reusing passwords?
Although no formal incident has occurred, statements made by ex-employees have given rise to Amazon data breach concerns. Describing the attitudes to personal data, one of the former employees, who previously held high-profile positions, reportedly noted that Amazon is unaware if it is protecting information correctly. The coverage suggested that Amazon does not have a handle on the huge quantities of data it has aggregated, which is a worrying thought given the company’s status as one of the largest businesses in the world.
The insider perspectives provide no confirmation of breaches of data protection law, but it is nevertheless worrying to think that the concerns of security experts were reportedly dismissed during time spent at Amazon. As a leading international e-commerce company, million of users visit Amazon sites all the time.
Holding millions of customers’ information, the data protection responsibilities of Amazon are monumental. As such, if a breach were to occur, the effects could be devastating. As leading specialists in data breach claims, we want to see that all companies are taking their duties seriously, as we know how serious the repercussions can be for victims who have their information exposed.
Since the onset of the Covid-19 pandemic, the risks to cybersecurity have been widely perceived as greater. Cybercriminals have been taking advantage of poor data protection methods whilst also enhancing their methods of attack. We cannot yet fully assess the impact of Covid on data protection right now, but we can examine the evolving threat levels and look at how consumer attitudes to data have changed over the course of the pandemic.
Awareness of data security has always varied from person to person. Your Lawyers – The Data Leak Lawyers – as leading specialists in data breach law, we believe that each person should know about their right to good data protection. In the event of a data breach, this knowledge can be essential in ensuring companies are held to account for their errors. We support thousands of people in their fight to recover compensation following data breaches, and we want to make sure the data protection errors made during the coronavirus pandemic do not go unnoticed.
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.
Data snooping attacks can represent one of the many methods that cybercriminals use to steal private information. Snooping methods are commonly used to steal data from insecure networks and other systems. Sometimes, data snooping is even used by well-known companies seeking to extract information relating to their users.
In the digital age, personal data is a valuable commodity, such that there is a large underground network of hackers and fraudsters who aggregate data for malicious purposes. With the risks growing and growing, third-party organisations must aim to safeguard the information that is under their protection.
In fact, all UK data controllers are legally bound to comply with the rules of the GDPR, meaning that they can be held liable when a data breach occurs. If you have been affected by a data breach, you may be entitled to claim compensation. Any victims can contact us for free, no-obligation advice about their potential claims.
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