Welcome To The Data Leak Lawyers Blog

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.
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Equifax takes financial hit following data breach scandal

Just like other companies who have suffered a publicised data breach, Equifax’s finances have reportedly taken a hit.

The credit-reporting agency enjoyed share prices at $146.26 in August 2017, but as soon as the breach was made public, the shares reportedly plummeted to just $92.98 in the following month.

Low third-quarter profits may reflect trust issues in the firm after Equifax suffered a data breach that exposed the sensitive information of over 145 million people, including thousands here in the U.K.

Our Data Leak Team are already acting for U.K. victims.
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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…
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The “Fog of War” in cyberspace

Three computer scientists at the U.S. Army Research Laboratory once likened the fight for cybersecurity to the “Fog of War”. This is a term used in uncertain situations by participants in military operations.

Off the back of this, they put forward a new form of data security dubbed “cyberfog”. In comparison to physical military operations, cybercrime can be hard to monitor and detect – who is the enemy? What tools are at their disposal? What are their finances and strengths?

Such uncertainties can make the fight against cybercrime so much harder, so making data harder to hack is always a solid step forward, and that’s essentially what “cyberfog” is intending to do.
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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.
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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.
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Multiple British intelligence and law enforcement agencies to investigate Uber hack and cover-up

Uber recently admitted to a historic data breach that compromised personal data belonging to some of its 57 million users and drivers worldwide. With six million of those users in the U.K., a significant number of people in Britain are expected to be potentially at risk of further criminal activity like fraud and digital harassment.

To make matters worse, the breach happened a year ago in October 2016, but instead of telling the authorities, Uber decided to ‘handle it’ by finding the hackers and paying them off to keep quiet.
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NHS remote and automated systems: What are the concerns?

In the past few years, the National Health Service (NHS) has made attempts to expand and ease the pressure on its extremely busy and hectic services with use of new technology. This included setting up an entire NHS internal email system that allows staff to send ‘secure’ emails to each other to share ‘sensitive information’.

An electronic prescription service is also available that allows GPs to send a prescription directly to a pharmacy.

But in the increasingly interconnected digital world, what are the concerns over using such technology? Should we be worried?
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ICO fines Verso Group £80,000 for breaching data protection laws

The Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) has issued an £80,000.00 fine to broking company Verso Group (UK) Limited. The ICO found that the company violated data protection laws because it didn’t adequately inform data subjects what was being done to their personal information.

Whilst investigating two other companies for breaches of the Privacy and Electronic Communications Regulations, the ICO noticed that Verso Group may have been supplying the two companies with personal information for the others to send unsolicited direct marketing communications to unwilling subjects. One of the companies, Prodial Ltd, was fined for making 46 million nuisance calls and was subsequently fined £350,000 by the ICO.
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NHS data breaches and NHS data breach compensation

The National Health Service (NHS): the provider of the nation’s healthcare that we put our trust and confidence in to look after us and care for our bodies and minds. In that trust, we usually give them unlimited access to our medical records.

Within those medical records, the NHS know all about our bumps, scrapes, embarrassing ailments and our most guarded mental health issues. They are a target for hackers and are leading the leagues when it comes to the highest number of breaches, which is very worrying. A lot of it is down to inadequate systems and procedures, but for the victims, it can become a life-changing event.
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