Category: GDPR

Doorstep Dispensaree receives the first GDPR fine in UK

It’s official: the first GDPR fine in the UK has been issued to Doorstep Dispensaree for data protection breaches that spanned across a two-year period.

This one involves medical data, which is some of the most personal and sensitive forms of data that there is. Medical data breach compensation claims account for a large proportion of the legal cases that we take forward because of how common they can be, and because of the impact on victims. The impact is often severe because this is the kind of information that we do not want to be misused or exposed.

The breach period, in this case, is between June 2016 and June 2018, which means that it just falls within the GDPR start period from May 2018. The Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) was reportedly alerted to the breach by the Medicines and Healthcare Products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) who were conducting unrelated enquiries.

The issue of police misusing IT systems

humberside police fined by ico for data breach

We’ve discussed the issue of the police misusing IT systems before, and it’s a topic that needs to be addressed a lot given the nature of the data that they’re charged with.

Officers and employees have access to huge amounts of data, some of which is very personal and very sensitive. When exposed, victims can be understandably distressed, and that’s where we can assist.

Victims of a data breach can be entitled to make a claim for compensation that stems from the loss of control of private and sensitive information. We may be able to represent you, and since no one is above the law, you shouldn’t worry about going up against the police.

Social Care records data breach

If you have been the victim of a social care records data breach, you may be entitled to make a claim for compensation with us on a No Win, No Fee basis.

One of the most common types of individual legal cases that we represent people for involve councils, and a large volume of them relate to social care information. Social care data can be incredibly personal and sensitive which is why we find that data breach compensation pay-outs for these kinds of incidents can be quite high.

Victims should always know their rights. An apology isn’t always enough, especially when the data that has been exposed or misused is sensitive, which can often be the case when it comes to social care data.

Missoma data breach

The Missoma data breach has a very familiar feel to it. In fact, it feels identical to a number of previous breaches, including compensation actions we’re involved with.

Reportedly, an email sent to customers has confirmed that a data breach has taken place and that malicious software from a third-party had been used to target customers’ payment details. It appears that malicious code has been injected into the payments part of the website in order to steal data processed through it.

Although news of the breach has only just broken, the circumstances surrounding the incident appear to be exactly the same as a number of other data breaches that have taken place in recent years as well.

GDPR compensation amounts

First published by Matthew on November 14, 2019 in the following categories: Claims GDPR Group Action ICO and tagged with compensation | data breach | gdpr | Group Action | ico

In the same way that fines can be far higher, will we also see higher GDPR compensation amounts since the new law came into effect in May 2018?

Although data breach compensation amounts are still based on the individual impact to the victim, and this hasn’t changed since GDPR, the new laws can make brining a claim an easier thing to do. The law is more stringent than the previous Data Protection Act, so there can be more avenues for people to be able to claim. And the recent court case victory has also paved the way for people to be able to launch a claim even if they haven’t suffered any distress or loss at all.

The difference in fines is, of course, monumental. We have already seen the power that regulators now have to ensure data breach offenders are properly punished.

Another West Berkshire Council data breach

There has been another West Berkshire Council data breach, and it again involves an email being sent to people that has leaked the information for the recipients.

Just a few weeks ago, we covered a breach from the same council which saw an email sent to around 30 people where the “BCC” function wasn’t used. In this more recent event, it’s another case where the “BCC” function wasn’t used, but this time, it’s understood to have affected over a thousand people.

The long and short of the issue is that council data breach compensation claims are incredibly common because of how easily these events occur. But these incidents are completely preventable, and the fact that there has been two from the same council in the space of just a few weeks is alarming.

GDPR data breach rights

First published by Matthew on October 18, 2019 in the following categories: Claims Data GDPR and tagged with compensation | data breach | gdpr

It’s important to know your GDPR data breach rights, and as a pioneering data breach compensation law firm, our expert advice and representation can help.

I once read that, statistically, data breaches are more common than rain in the UK. Having lived here all my life, and travelled a fair few places around the world, that statement seems excessive. The weather, and how wet it is, is a common part of British life!

But it’s apparently true. So, with this in mind, let’s look at your GDPR data breach rights and how we can help you when it comes to making as claim for compensation.

Wokingham Council data leaks in the news

Wokingham Council data leaks have hit the news again after media reports of a number of incidents where information has reportedly been sent to the wrong people.

These kinds of leaks can be awfully common, which is why a large number of the cases we take forward for people are council data breach compensation claims.

With the sheer wealth of information that councils hold, and the personal and sensitive nature of it, any leak, breach or hack can be serious.

Facebook exposed telephone numbers in huge data leak

There’s been yet another data leak that’s hit the social media giant. It’s reported that Facebook exposed telephone numbers for millions of users, including those in the UK.

This latest data leak comes after a long line of breaches and incidents that have plagued the social media giant over the last few years. It also comes after increased scrutiny from regulators around the world over things like their data sharing policies, with the Cambridge Analytica scandal still fresh on our minds.

Although Facebook appears to be trying to play down the scale of the leak, there’s no argument as to how serious this incident is.

Countess of Chester Hospital data breaches raises concerns

First published by Matthew on September 04, 2019 in the following categories: Claims GDPR Healthcare and tagged with data breach | data controllers | healthcare sector | medical data breach | nhs

The volume of Countess of Chester Hospital data breaches has raised some concerns after figures revealed there have been hundreds of incidents in the 2018/19 period.

We say this a lot, but the volume of individual cases that we take forward that involve medical data cases is high. Although the statistics aren’t surprising, given the number of NHS data breach compensation claims we take forward, it’s still worrying; especially when you consider the nature of the information at risk here.

The news about the data revealed by the Chester Standard reported that, on average, there has been more than four every week during the period reviewed.