The University of Manchester cybersecurity incident has been widely reported, and it is understood that information has been misused or exposed as a result of what has happened.
Unfortunately, the education institution is one in a long line of organisations that have fallen foul of cybersecurity incidents in recent years. The results of these data breaches often lead to significant swathes of personal information being misused and exposed.
About the University of Manchester cybersecurity incident
There has been widespread media coverage about the University of Manchester cybersecurity incident that hit the education institution earlier this month. An investigation has been launched in response to what has happened, and it is understood that both in-house and external experts have been deployed to assist. It is also understood that the matter has been reported to the UK’s data watchdog, the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO), as well as the National Cyber Security Centre.
Unfortunately, as things stand, it has been reported that some information may have been exposed in the incident. It appears that third parties were able to access systems and servers, which means that it is assumed that data has been copied.
It goes without saying that the University of Manchester cybersecurity incident could be substantial given the nature of the personal information that they store and process on behalf of both employees and students. There can also be sensitive research information and data that can be involved in such cybersecurity incidents, which is an important matter to consider.
Eligibility for claiming compensation
It is early stages, so the strength of any potential compensation claim for anyone affected by the University of Manchester cybersecurity incident remains uncertain. The eligibility, generally speaking, to be able to pursue damages often comes down to proving whether there has been a breach of the GDPR. A breach of the GDPR could be established in the event that more could – and should – have been done to have prevented the cyberattack from taking place.
As in other group action compensation claims we are proceeding in respect of data breach matters, if it is found that more should have been done, that is when we may be able to succeed with a claim. If there has been a breach of the GDPR, anyone whose information has been misused or exposed could be entitled to pursue compensation on a No Win, No Fee basis.
Your Lawyers – leading privacy compensation experts
At Your Lawyers, we are a leading firm of privacy compensation experts representing thousands of people engaged in both individual and group action data breach cases. We have been working in this niche and complex area of law for almost a decade, which is far longer than many other law firms out there, which is why we are proven experts in this field.
Our successes in respect of recovering compensation speaks for itself. We have already recovered well over £1m in damages for mostly individual clients to date, and our average compensation settlement is just over £6,000 in damages alone. We know that this is far higher than what some other law firms out there have been settling for, and it comes down to our expertise and our tenacity to make sure that we can fight for real justice for our clients.
In fact, when it comes to some medical data breach matters, we routinely settle claims in excess of £10,000.