Category: Data

Worrying Nuneaton and Bedworth Council data breach

Posted by Matthew on March 19, 2019 in the following categories: Council Data Employee Data Breach ICO Latest and tagged with council | council data breaches | data breach | data controllers | employee breaches

There has been a prosecution for a worrying Nuneaton and Bedworth Council data breach that’s an example of how employees can exploit the data they can access.

In this incident, former head of building control at the council, Kevin Bunsell, shared personal information about job applications with his partner. His partner had applied for the same job that the candidates whose data was shared had applied for, and she won the position.

Although we can only speculate as to the motives, we can assume that the reasons for sharing the data were to assist his partner in securing the position which she was eventually awarded.

The risks of reusing passwords

Thousands of people have contacted us for help with data breach claims. Victims can be entitled to make a claim for compensation. The risks of reusing passwords is one of the first things people may need to consider.

The advice is to never reuse the same passwords and user credentials across different platforms. Despite this, people still do it. It means that being the victim of one simple breach could lead to several accounts being accessed. In fact, it could even mean those credentials are used to hack into a business you are employed with.

There’s a great deal that many people may not consider when it comes to reusing passwords and usernames. The mindset needs to change!

NHS fax data breach issue uncovered

new report uncovers councils lack of cybersecurity systems

An issue that has led to a number of NHS fax data breach incidents has been reported, after mix-ups with a similar fax number has led to information going astray.

NHS data breach compensation cases are some of the more common types of claims our expert team help people with. A lot of the data breaches are caused by such simple errors that can be easily avoided. Despite this, they happen way too frequently.

The news of the fax mix ups is another example of this and comes to light after the accidental recipients of the data contacted NHS England about the incidents.

About the NHS fax data breach issues

The NHS fax data breach issue reportedly stems from GP surgeries and pharmacies accidentally sending data to the wrong number. The number they have been sending information to in some cases belongs to a hotel group who has then been receiving the faxes incorrectly.

Some of the data that has been sent to the wrong fax number includes medication requests, certificates and dispensing vouchers.

It’s understood that the fax number for the hotel group is similar to the ones used to send information within the healthcare system. The hotel group has notified the Corporate Information Governance Team for NHS England.

What’s being done about the NHS fax data breach issue?

As a result of these NHS fax data breach issues, NHS England has reportedly reminded GP surgeries and pharmacies about the importance of checking numbers. As some have recently called for a move away from faxes and pagers within the NHS, it’s claimed that this fax system is apparently the only way of sending this data within the healthcare system.

It sounds like something needs to change.

Any medical data breach can cause a huge amount of distress to the victims. When we see these simple errors over incredibly personal and sensitive data, it’s clear to us that more needs to be done.

As a firm of lawyers who specialise in data leak cases, we know how bad a breach can be for the victim. It’s important for these simple and avoidable data breaches are stamped out.

Coffee Meets Bagel data breach revealed on Valentine’s Day

The Coffee Meets Bagel data breach was unfortunately revealed on Valentine’s Day. I.e. a dating app revealed a breach on the day of love and romance…

With the data breach reportedly having happened on 11^th February 2019, I suppose its just a case of bad timing that notifications ended up being on Valentine’s Day. Either way, the American-based dating service that is used in the UK has suffered a breach.

This isn’t the first dating website that has been targeted for a data breach. We doubt it will be the last as well.

Warnings after Basingstoke and Deane Borough Council data breach

Posted by Matthew on March 06, 2019 in the following categories: Council Data and tagged with council | council data breaches | data breach | email leaks | personal data

Warnings have been issued over a 2017 Basingstoke and Deane Borough Council data breach incident that was said to have been particularly sensitive.

The warnings have come from both the authority itself as well as the UK’s data watchdog, the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO).

The incident took place before the introduction of last year’s vital GDPR. The incident still amounted to a serious data protection breach and could have led to criminal prosecutions and huge fines faced by the council.

U-turn in Worcester GP data breach case

compensation advice for hospital data breaches

NHS England has ruled in an investigation into a Worcester GP data breach after previous findings suggested that the law had not been broken.

In this unusual case, the Severn Valley Medical Practice reportedly posted information online about a patient. Initially, the Practice is understood to have disputed that any data protection breach had occurred. Since then, NHS England and the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) both agree that the incident was a failure to comply with data protection obligations.

Another element that makes this case unusual is about allegations made surrounding the Data Protection Officer (DPO) who reportedly claimed there wasn’t a breach in the first place.

Deliveroo data breach incident reported to ICO

A Deliveroo data breach “incident” is said to have been reported to the ICO who have confirmed that they’re making inquiries.

Back in 2016, the food delivery company faced scrutiny after customers complained of fraudulent transactions on their accounts. In some cases, it appeared the issues were down to people’s credentials being stolen in hacks completely separate to Deliveroo. Criminals had used stolen credentials to access accounts in cases where credentials were reused.

Deliveroo were subsequently criticised over what some customers felt was a failure to spot and stop fraudulent transactions. In this latest incident, it appears that history may be repeating itself.

Do people claim data breach compensation?

Posted by Matthew on February 20, 2019 in the following categories: Claims Cybersecurity Data Security and tagged with compensation | cybersecurity | data breach | personal data

OK, so do people claim data breach compensation? With many people not fully aware of their rights to justice, this can be a common question.

The answer is yes. We can tell you because we’re involved in over 20 different data breach group actions. On top of that, thousands have come to us for help over the years we’ve been representing victims claim data breach compensation. And thousands of pounds have been recovered for the people we help.

With more and more data suggesting that many consumers now look at an organisation’s history in terms of data breaches, it’s time for victims of incidents to know their rights for justice as well.

OkCupid data breach denied as “bug” found

Posted by Matthew on February 19, 2019 in the following categories: Cybersecurity Data Hacking News Scammers Security Social Networking and tagged with apps | cyber crime | cybersecurity | online security | personal data

News of an OkCupid data breach has been denied by the company, although a “bug” has reportedly been found by a security firm anyway.

Some users reportedly complained of their accounts being hacked and taken over. As a result of a lack of additional security, like two-factor authentication – a lack of security apparently common in the dating site industry – some users were successfully targeted by criminals.

However, OkCupid denies that a security breach has taken place. That being said, a “bug” was reportedly identified by security researchers and has apparently been fixed.

Greater Facebook regulation imminent

Greater Facebook regulation is looking imminent after a year-long inquiry that included issues over the misuse of personal data.

The inquiry, launched in-part after the Cambridge Analytica scandal, comes after a spate of recent data breach incidents involving the social medial platform. The recommendations made by the Digital, Culture, Media and Sport Committee include an independent regulator to oversee tech firms like Facebook.

It’s not been an easy process judging from the remarks of MPs and others involved with the inquiry. Facebook founder, Mark Zuckerberg, didn’t even come to the UK to answer questions himself, which has reportedly caused a stir.