Welcome To The Data Leak Lawyers Blog
We focus on the latest news surrounding data breaches, leaks and hacks plus daily internet security articles.
We focus on the latest news surrounding data breaches, leaks and hacks plus daily internet security articles.
When imagining a data breach in the workplace, our minds often go to database hacks or malicious cyberattacks. However, the risks of printers are not always considered. In fact, printer hacks can sometimes be just as dangerous, acting as a route into the wider company network.
The lack of awareness surrounding such risks can demonstrate that there is often poor education about data protection at many companies. Ensuring good data protection is not simply a case of implementing firewalls or antivirus software. It is also vital that employees follow strict procedures and are aware of what good practice is.
When a third-party organisation fails to protect your personal information, they may have breached data protection law. Where this is the case, you may be able to make a claim in order to be compensated for the damage caused. As leading specialists in data protection law, we help those affected by data breaches to access the justice they deserve.
As we reach the third anniversary of the GDPR this May, it is important to evaluate the impact the law has had on data security.
While the General Data Protection Regulation produced an important, necessary update to the UK’s decades-old Data Protection Act (1998), data breaches show no sign of abetting. It still appears that many businesses may still be failing to comply with the law today.
Taking account of the changes of the digital age, in which consumers regularly share data with third parties online, the GDPR obliges businesses to ensure that they protect personal data with appropriate technical and organisational methods. When they fail in this responsibility, they could face enforcement action from the Information Commissioner’s Office, the regulator responsible for monitoring compliance with the GDPR in the UK.
Moreover, the GDPR can also enable victims of data protection breaches to claim compensation for the harm caused. If you have been affected by a data breach incident, you may be within your rights to make a claim, and we have the expertise to advise you and lead your claim to fruition.
As cybercriminals develop their skills and tools, we see increasingly sophisticated and malicious cyberattacks, many of which can cause adverse consequences for the victims. Cybercrime may well have been strengthened by the coronavirus pandemic, so the risk to personal information is at a high point.
For cybercriminals, the most effective cyberattacks are often those which are highly manipulative, backing their victims into a corner and leaving them defenceless. These cyberattacks can be capable of causing immense distress to the victims, which can last for months or even years after the breach.
However, cybercriminals are not the only threat to personal data. Many companies fail to implement adequate cybersecurity measures, leaving the information in their possession in a more vulnerable position. If a third-party organisation has failed to protect your data, they may be liable to pay compensation. No one should feel forced to accept a data breach, so contact us for advice if you think you may have a compensation claim to make.
Many data breaches occur not because of sophisticated hacks, but because of failures in cybersecurity defences. In such cases, the blame can primarily fall on the head of the data controller, who may have failed in their duty to protect personal information. For example, a potential data breach arose when a configuration issue in the systems of Network Rail left rail passenger data accessible online.
The error is one many companies cite when a data breach occurs, and one which can be indicative of systematic failings within an organisation. It often only takes one mistake or flaw to make a substantial hole in an organisation’s cybersecurity defences. As good cybersecurity is a key tenet of data protection law, data controllers with weak or faulty cybersecurity can be found in breach of the GDPR. The wider defences are only as good as the weakest link.
Where the GDPR is breached, those affected by the exposure of their information may be eligible to make a compensation claim. At Your Lawyers (T/A The Data Leak Lawyers), we represent data breach victims as a leading data breach claims law firm to fight for the justice that they deserve.
The recent NurseryCam data breach reportedly exposed the information of parents using the webcam service, which allows them to watch live footage of their kids at nursery.
Said to be in use across 40 nurseries in the UK, the company believes that the breach did not allow unauthorised users to view the webcam footage, but it nevertheless had the potential to cause a substantial violation of privacy had action not been taken quickly. It is currently unclear how many users of NurseryCam have been affected.
The news comes following a public dispute between NurseryCam and a cybersecurity expert, who had reportedly identified holes in the company’s defences prior to the data breach. As a result, the incident undoubtedly raises questions about the strength of the cybersecurity measures used by the company, and perhaps also the general attitude towards data protection among employees.
When data breaches occur, the effect on the victims can be extremely severe, as they can be exposed to many different kinds of data misuse. The psychological impact of a data breach can sometimes be its worst consequence, with the majority of victims suffering some degree of stress or anxiety. As such, it is unsurprising that many victims lose trust after data breaches, not only in the third party that caused the breach, but more generally, as they may find it difficult and worrisome to disclose data under any circumstances in future.
Although it may be difficult to lessen your worries, it is important to remember that the law is on your side. We are here to help anyone claim the compensation the GDPR can entitle them to in the event that a third party fails to protect their personal data.
Contact us for advice today if you think you may have a claim to make. We are Your Lawyers – The Data Leak Lawyers – and we are a leading firm of data lawyers who are here to fight your corner.
In February last year, the Financial Conduct Authority data breach hit the news after the regulator was forced to admit that it had inadvertently exposed confidential consumer information.
The breach represented a humiliating blunder for the FCA, a government watchdog that regulates the UK financial services sector.
Indeed, as an authority that frequently investigates the security and data handling of other organisations, there was an embarrassing irony to the incident for the FCA. Although the data breach took place a year ago, any affected victims may still be eligible to claim compensation. We are still taking on claims, so contact us for advice about your potential claim.
In April last year, we began taking on cases for victims affected by the Robert Dyas data breach, which resulted in the exposure of affected customers’ personal and financial information.
Affected victims have been contacted in relation to the breach, and we want to remind anyone who has yet to claim that they may be entitled to receive compensation for the harm caused.
The hack affecting hardware retail company Robert Dyas occurred around the time its stores were closed in response to the first UK lockdown, when customers began turning to online sales. It seems that the cybercriminals involved were keen to capitalise on the increased traffic to the online store, during a period in which Robert Dyas had to limit transactions to £50 as a result of the overwhelming influx of purchases.
A huge volume of data breaches in recent years were caused by human error, and the frequency with which such breaches happen does not seem to be lessening. A human error GDPR breach can be no less serious than a mass cyberattack. In fact, it can be due to the mistake or overall negligence of employees that data hacks are allowed to occur in the first place.
In either scenario, vast amounts of information can end up being exposed.
It is simply unacceptable that failing to carry out basic data protection procedures is still a primary culprit of data leaks, even in today’s digital world. Data protection guidelines have been enshrined in law for many years now, and the GDPR should have further moved organsations to repair any holes in their defences, yet human error continues to provoke data breaches. Anyone who has fallen victim to such a data breach may be eligible to claim compensation for any damage caused to them, so contact us if you would like to be advised on your right to claim.
Just over one year has passed since the Watford Community Housing email leak, in which thousands of tenants’ personal information was exposed. The data was leaked as a result of an email sent on 23rd March 2020, to which a spreadsheet containing a list of all 3,545 tenants was accidentally attached.
Your Lawyers – The Data Leak Lawyers – as a leading firm of specialist data compensation lawyers, believe that victims of the email leak have been affected by a significant breach of their right to data protection. This is why we have been taking on compensation claims on behalf of the victims, and we now represent a large group of victims affected by the incident.
If you were also affected by the data breach, it is not too late to start your claim, so contact us to receive advice on your case. It does not matter that the breach was brought about by an accidental email error, as all data breach victims can still be entitled to access justice, regardless of the circumstances. Given the progress of our cases so far, we remain confident in achieving a successful outcome.
EasyJet admits data of nine million hacked
British Airways data breach: How to claim up to £6,000 compensation
Are you owed £5,000 for the Virgin Media data breach?
Virgin Media faces £4.5 BILLION in compensation payouts
BA customers given final deadline to claim compensation for data breach
Shoppers slam Morrisons after loyalty points stolen
Half a million customers can sue BA over huge data breach
Lawyers accuse BA of 'swerving responsibility' for data breach
The biggest data breaches of 2020
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