Welcome To The Data Leak Lawyers Blog

Hastings Council Data Breach showed how easy it is

The Hastings Council data breach on the eve of the GDPR coming into force showed just how easy the human error element is.

The irony was that the breach involved an email being sent out with an opt-in or opt-out offer for compliance with the new GDPR. They sent the email on the eve of the new rules coming into force. It all seemed very sensible.

That was until it was realised that all the recipients’ information was visible to each other. Yes, that’s right. A GDPR information email was sent out that breached data protection rules itself. It was another simple case of avoidable human error.

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Compensation for a council email breach

You may be entitled to claim compensation as a victim of a council email breach, and our Data Leak Lawyers are here to help you.

A number of council email breaches have taken place over the years, and they can often happen by human error or software problems. Whatever the cause, they are often seen as systemic issues that can be easily resolvable, meaning the breaches should never have happened in the first place. For this reason, depending on the data breached, victims can be entitled to claim for data breach compensation.

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City council data breach compensation advice

If you have been affected by a city council data breach and you’re in need of data breach compensation advice and representation, we can help.

With the public sector often at the top of the tables in terms of the volume of data breaches, the impact for victims who suffer as a result of an incident like a city council data breach cannot be ignored. These organisations hold a great deal of personal and sensitive data about us, and it’s not only enough information to cause distress and alarm, but it can also lead to financial crimes like fraud and identity theft.

We take on a great deal of cases for public sector data breaches because of the severity of the impact they can have as well as the frequency of them occurring.

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Council tax data breach advice

A council tax data breach can have devastating consequences for the victims involved, especially given that councils hold a lot of personal and sensitive data about us.

Incidents of a council tax data breach are not unheard of and a wealth of information – from people’s personal details to salary information – can be exposed. Council data breaches alone can be quite common given they fall within the umbrella of the public sector, where data breaches can be common.

Although it’s never nice to be the victim of a data breach, victims of a council tax data breach are entitled to claim for data breach compensation.

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Third-party outsourcing can lead to a council data protection breach

Third-party outsourcing can lead to a council data protection breach, and as the old saying goes, “you’re only as strong as your weakest link” – which means councils and local authorities are only as good as the private organisations they outsource work to.

This is important, because public sector data breaches are an ongoing problem, and councils can be a prime target for cyber-criminals as well as being vulnerable to leaks and breaches from inadequate procedures and policies.

With councils outsourcing work for the private sector a lot, there is understandable cause for concern.

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St Helens council data breach

There are allegations of a St Helens council data breach involving recently resigned council leader, Barrie Grunewald.

Any council data protection breach can be serious and can pave the way for legal cases for victims of such a breach; especially when it comes to the nature of the data councils hold. This incident, however, is a little unclear in terms of exactly what has happened.

Police are said to be investigating the alleged data breach which is thought to involve images from a group WhatsApp conversation between St Helens politicians which were allegedly obtained from a mobile phone and subsequently distributed. Mr Grunewald has said that the allegations are “spurious”, and police investigations remain ongoing.

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Councils data breaches and GDPR

Council data breaches and the GDPR that’s coming into force this month is a key topic for discussion. With councils and other public sector authorities often experiencing high levels of data breaches and data leaks, it’s imperative that enough attention is paid to the new regulations that could see organisations fined a heck of a lot more money for breaching data laws.

We take on and represent a lot of people for council data breaches, so we know how often they happen, and we know how bad they can be for the victims. Given the nature of the data that councils hold, any breach or leak can often be very serious for the victims who are entitled to claim for data protection breach compensation.
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Kensington and Chelsea council fined £120,000 for indeliberate data breach

The Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea council has been fined £120,000 for an indeliberate data breach because the personal details of empty property owners in their constituency was published, contrary to data protection laws.

The Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) has called it a “serious contravention” which has led to the huge fine being issued of £120,000.

According to the ICO reports, a Freedom of Information (FOI) request had been made in relation to the Grenfell Tower incident as part of research into social inequality, and it was this request that led to the accidental disclosure.
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Council data protection breaches: a common problem

Council data protection breaches are a common problem, so if you have been the victim of a breach or leak caused by your local council, you’re one of many.

You have rights to be able to claim for data breach compensation, whether the council has directly breached data laws, or where a local authority outsourced company has breached the law instead.

We advise and represent a lot of people for council data leaks and data breaches because the root problems as to why they are so common have yet to be resolved.
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