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We focus on the latest news surrounding data breaches, leaks and hacks plus daily internet security articles.

Category: Council

prevent wifi hack
July 18, 2019

Local authorities risk data breaches – what can victims do?

In an age where many local authorities risk data breaches because of a lack of preventative measures, what can victims whose information is misused do about it?

We can’t force local authorities and the agents who work on their behalf to improve their behaviour and help to stop breaches, leaks and hacks. We can’t force them to invest in better technology and qualified staff to ensure their systems are safe and secure.

What we can do is ensure that victims can make a claim for council data breach compensation which acts as a punishment and a deterrent. It also ensures that victims can obtain justice as well, which is something that a GDPR fine doesn’t encompass.

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data breach report
July 01, 2019

South Gloucestershire Council data breach incidents

There has reportedly been an increase in South Gloucestershire Council data breach incidents when compared with previous statistics.

It’s understood that there were 184 security breaches last year, which was an increase of 46% from the previous year. Although this sounds like worrying news, the authority has reportedly confirmed that the increase is due to a greater awareness for reporting. With the introduction of GDPR last year, there have been huge increases in breaches being reported as knowledge of data laws and responsibilities has grown exponentially.

That being said, data breaches remain a serious problem, and when it comes to council data breach cases, the impact for the victims can be severe.

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letter is sent to the wrong address
June 19, 2019

Waltham Forest Council data breach caused by “printing error”

A Waltham Forest Council data breach incident that stemmed from a “printing error” shows just how easy it is for personal information to be exposed.

We say this a lot, but a huge majority of the cases we take forward are for council data breach compensation claims. They can be incredibly common, and when you account for the vast wealth of personal and sensitive information that local authorities hold, leaks and breaches can be severe.

In this incident, it’s understood that a simple “printing error” was to blame for the leak of personal information to potentially thousands of people.

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council data protection breach claim government data leaks
June 07, 2019

Telford & Wrekin Council data breaches in the news

Telford & Wrekin Council data breaches have hit the news again, after reports of three investigations into them last year by the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO).

We wrote about one of them last year, which was a preventable incident where a member of staff had accidentally sent the wrong information to the wrong person. Two of the three investigated by the ICO were reportedly human error data breaches, with no further action taken against them. Human error incidents can be incredibly common in local authority data breach cases.

As lawyers, it’s important to address council data breaches, because they account for a significant proportion of the individual claims we take forward.

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By Author
May 22, 2019

Local authority data breach legal advice

You may be eligible to make a claim for compensation as a victim of a local authority data breach. We can offer you free, no-obligation advice about your options.

As expert Data Leak Lawyers, we’ve been asked for help from thousands of people over the years we’ve been fighting for data breach justice. One of the most common types of individual claims that we take forward involve the victim’s local authority. And with local authorities holding a wealth of personal and sensitive data about huge numbers of people, these kinds of breaches can be severe.

You may be able to make a council data breach compensation claim. You may also be able to make a case for a breach from social services as well. Read on for more advice.

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domestic abuse data breach
May 21, 2019

When confidential document disposal goes wrong

Confidential document disposal is a matter that all organisations – both public and private – must take seriously to avoid a data breach incident. But we know things don’t always get done properly as they ought to, and that’s where we come in.

Important data protection laws – including GDPR that came into force this time last year – encompass the handling, and therefore destruction, of data. Confidential documents must not be binned with other general waste because it may lead to a significant data breach. Confidential waste should always be disposed of in a way that ensures information will not be leaked.

If you’re the victim of a data breach that’s caused by a confidential document disposal failure, you may be able to make a claim for compensation.

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website data leaks
May 13, 2019

Charnwood council data breach reported to authorities

A recent Charnwood council data breach incident has been reported to the UK’s data watchdog, the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO).

The victims of the data breach have also been informed as to what has happened, and the local authority has apologised for the breach.

This is another case of private information being accidentally uploaded online. We represent a large number of people who are claiming for council data breach compensation because of how often incidents can happen, and accidental leaks are unfortunately common. This latest incident doesn’t come as a surprise to us, but it ought to have been prevented in the first place.

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Watford Community Housing email breach
April 16, 2019

Bristol council data breach hits thousands

The Bristol council data breach incident that was reported last week is understood to have affected thousands of residents.

The incident was yet another case of an avoidable data breach that has been caused by what appears to be a simple error. We see these kinds of leaks all the time, and they’re not the first council to have committed a breach just like it.

One of the most severe data breach group actions we’re running stemmed from an incident that’s exactly the same as this one. The damage that can be caused from a simple email error that leads to a leak can be substantial. A large volume of the cases we deal with are for council data breach compensation claims. They really are awfully common.

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domestic abuse data breach
April 10, 2019

Horrendous Bracknell Forest Council data breach

A horrendous Bracknell Forest Council data breach incident has been reported in the media this month, and the circumstances are strikingly familiar.

Unfortunately, the incident doesn’t come as a surprise to us. Over the years we’ve been fighting for the rights of data breach victims, thousands of people have come to us for help. A huge volume of the cases we represent people for are for council data breach compensation claims. They really do happen a lot, and with the wealth of personal and sensitive data that councils hold, the impact on the victims can be serious.

In this case, it’s another incident where information – private and sensitive data – has somehow been sent to the wrong person.

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council email data leaks
March 21, 2019

Avoidable Rotherham Council data leak

There’s been an avoidable Rotherham Council data leak, the likes of which is not an uncommon type of data incident, particularly for a local authority.

Almost 900 people are reportedly affected by the leak, with victims calling the incident “extremely serious” and worrying about the possibilities of falling victim to crime.

One of the most common types of legal cases we run are claims for council data breach compensation. In fact, a huge proportion of the individual cases we’re fighting for justice in involve local authority services. This incident, unfortunately, is unsurprising to hear about.

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