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.
Some statistics have put the number of downloads for mental health apps at one million since the start of the coronavirus pandemic, and these apps have been around for quite some time.
The additional strain that the pandemic is causing on our mental wellbeing is widely recognised, and the increased usage of such apps doesn’t come as a surprise. But people do need to be careful, and some apps will be more secure than others. It’s a perfect opportunity for scammers to try to muscle their way in to get hold of sensitive information too.
So, should we be concerned, what may happen if an app is breached, and what can we do to help people?
We already believed that the risk of further public sector and government data breach incidents was significant, but a recent review has drawn similar conclusions.
Many of the thousands of clients that we represent have had information exposed or misused by a public sector body. In the wake of the recent New Year’s Honours data breach that we’re pursuing damages for, a review has concluded that the risk of further breaches is “significant”.
This doesn’t come as a surprise to us, and we can explain why. Many are labelled as just “human error” incidents, but there can be so much more to it than that.
It’s understood that there may be as many as 500,000 Zoom passwords up for sale on the dark web for less than a penny each as the video conferencing app’s popularity has skyrocketed during the Coronavirus pandemic.
Security experts believe that the hacked accounts have been comprised due to credential stuffing and from other hacked websites where credentials are re-used. Either way, as the popularity of the app has grown significantly as much of the world remains in lockdown, people need to be careful.
The last thing anyone needs in this already troubling time is hackers and scammers taking advantage of people’s vulnerabilities.
The issue of London council data breaches has hit the media in light of damning statistics about the volumes of data that has reportedly been lost or stolen that involves these authorities.
Council data breach compensation claims are one of the most common types of cases that we take forward. The reasons are likely down to the sheer wealth of data that authorities and their outsourced partners hold, and the fact that it can be very personal and sensitive. What also doesn’t help is the fact that there are funding issues which can mean some councils aren’t able to commit enough resources for data protection either.
As a leading, specialist data breach law firm, the statistics do not come as a surprise to us; despite how worrying they are.
We often see mobile apps cybersecurity issues and events in the news. As the use of apps and mobile technology continues to grow, we fear there may be more incidents to come.
And some of those incidents could lead to a great deal of data being exposed or misused for a lot of people; perhaps even millions in a single event.
As data breach compensation experts, we often deal with cybersecurity compensation claims, and many stem from apps. This includes the We-Vibe group action we’re representing victims for, which saw particularly personal and sensitive data for thousands of people misused. We can represent victims for cases on a No Win, No Fee basis, and we’re always happy to offer no-obligation advice.
When it comes to the impact for victims and their rights that are enshrined in law, there’s simply no excuse when it comes to accidental data breaches.
Although “accidents happen”, as they say, there’s so much that organisations can – and must – do to prevent breaches and leaks. A lot of it is simple stuff, and a lot of it comes down to employers putting policies and procedures in place, and employees sticking to them.
We can show you how easy it is with a few simple examples. We can also advise about the rights of victims and inform you what you can do if you are ever the victim of a breach or a leak.
NHS data breaches and technology can go hand-in-hand. A lot of the incidents that we take forward for both individual cases and group action / multi-party claims often involve technology issues.
One of the most common types of cases that we take forward are NHS data breach compensation claims. Not only can they be common, but the impact for the victims – given how personal and sensitive medical data is – can usually mean that they suffer significant distress. That’s why our work to fight for the rights of the victims is so important.
We’re involved with more than one infamous group legal action as well as countless individual claims for medical data breaches. If you have been affected by an NHS data breach, we may be able to help you as well.
There has been a large volume of gaming app data breaches in recent years, and it may well be a trend that’s set to continue as these kinds of apps grow in popularity.
Gaming apps are now used by millions across the world, and there are no doubt hundreds of even thousands of them to choose from worldwide. We’ve previously discussed the issues over many apps having poor security, which recently led to Facebook closing down links with hundreds of apps due to concerns.
Ultimately, people need to be careful. Not only do people need to consider who it is that’s going to be in charge of their personal information, but they also need to consider what happens if a security breach takes place.
Given the continually large volumes of incidents that are happening, it’s important to approach the subject of data breaches and encryption.
In some cases, leaks can happen due to human errors or system problems. Some hacks may take place because 100% effective defence is a hard thing to achieve. This doesn’t excuse an organisation when it comes to their responsibilities, but it’s important for them to understand that it’s about more than just trying to stop incidents; it’s also about preventing damage.
And that’s where encryption and even basic levels of protection is king.
Serious concerns have been raised over security issues that could lead to smart toy data breaches and children being at risk of contact from strangers or exposure to explicit content.
Consumer group Which? has reportedly identified serious security flaws in a number of smart toys that could lead them to being hacked or interfered with. They’re now calling on big name retailers like Amazon, Argos, John Lewis and Smyths to withdraw some “intelligent” and “connected” toys for sale this Christmas. They’re also calling on the government to introduce mandatory security standards for smart toy manufacturers.
We’ve talked in the past about the dangers of smart toys and the “Internet of Things” as greater connectivity opens more doorways for cybercriminals. In the run up to the festive season, the consumer group’s findings are set to cause justifiable concern.
EasyJet admits data of nine million hacked
British Airways data breach: How to claim up to £6,000 compensation
Are you owed £5,000 for the Virgin Media data breach?
Virgin Media faces £4.5 BILLION in compensation payouts
BA customers given final deadline to claim compensation for data breach
Shoppers slam Morrisons after loyalty points stolen
Half a million customers can sue BA over huge data breach
Lawyers accuse BA of 'swerving responsibility' for data breach
The biggest data breaches of 2020
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