Category: Government
Lichfield District Council and data protection negligence
A recent meeting of local councillors has reportedly highlighted data security problems that could put the Lichfield District Council in breach of the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR).
The issue surrounds the reported continued use of unencrypted laptops and was raised by Cllr Joanne Grange, who is understood to have expressed concerns that the problems had still not been addressed three years after they were identified in 2017.
It is understood that Cllr Grange suggested that the failure to update working practices in accordance with data protection regulations could be tantamount to “negligence”. Her statements have undoubtedly highlighted some key problems which the council should feel obliged to address as a matter of urgency.
Domestic violence and data protection breaches
A recent data leak from a community organisation has reportedly exposed the personal information of highly vulnerable domestic violence victim.
Moving On is a Rochdale-based support service that seeks to help adults with acquired disabilities and provide a safe space for them to work through their difficulties. However, a series of errors reportedly led to the personal data of a former domestic violence victim being sent to a third party and posted online.
The victims in question is understood to have been left ‘terrified’ following the incident, worrying who their personal information may have reached. Rochdale council is investigating the leak to find the cause of the error, but it has already been established that council officials were apparently responsible for sending a letter that unintentionally shared the victim’s details with a third party.
Serious Bristol City Council data breach
A serious Bristol City Council data breach has occurred, revealing the names of hundreds of disabled children as well as the email addresses for primary care providers.
A spokesperson for Bristol City Council has said that there will be staff training and improved systems and policies put into place to prevent any similar breaches from occurring in the future. We question why such measures were not already in place, and it has been suggested that the breach was the result of employee error.
We know how scary it is to have such sensitive data breached, and we can help you make a compensation claim to get you the justice you deserve.
Public sector GDPR violations
Public sector GDPR violations are becoming a bigger and bigger problem for government data protection teams, and our work representing the victims has never been more important than now.
New research into public sector GDPR violations has reportedly indicated that understaffed teams and an increased workload are potentially leading to the occurrence of many more public sector data breaches than there should be. As a leading firm of data breach lawyers, this unfortunate issue does not come as a surprise to us.
If your personal data has been exposed as part of a public GDPR violation, you could be entitled to claim compensation on a No Win, No Fee basis. Depending on the nature of the information breached, and who it has been exposed to, or misused by, you could make a substantial compensation claim. We are specialists in the field of data breach law and the team is ready to help you with your claim.
Public Sector GDPR breaches – legal advice
New research has highlighted that public sector GDPR breaches could become a more regular occurrence due to understaffed Government data protection teams.
GDPR breaches can be extremely serious, exposing people’s private data and leaving them vulnerable to cyberattacks and much more. It is important that victims know their rights – as a leading firm of data breach compensation lawyers, we could represent you for a case on a No Win, No Fee basis if you are eligible.
We are proud to offer free and no-obligation advice for victims of a breach too.
Worst healthcare cyberattacks of 2019
The NHS was subject to some of the worst healthcare cyberattacks of 2019. The year saw a continuous increase of data breaches with two-thirds of healthcare organisations in the UK understood to have been involved in some form of data breach last year.
Many of these data breaches stem from virus and malware attacks which often arise from a compromised third-party device.
A Freedom of Information request submitted by Centrify reportedly found that the NHS has blocked some 11.4 million cyberattacks between 2016 and 2019. This shows just how much the NHS is a huge target for cybercriminals, and how they have ended up being targeted for some of the worst healthcare cyberattacks of 2019.
The seriousness of a housing customer data breach
A housing customer data breach can be extremely concerning to residents as they can easily expose highly sensitive data.
Information involved can include personal information such as names and addresses, as well as sensitive and protected information like sexual orientation, disabilities, ethnic origins, and more.
Data of this nature that is exposed can leave victims not only vulnerable to fraud, phishing scams, cold callers, and identity theft, but also to malicious attacks. This kind of information in the wrong hands could be the basis for racist or malicious incidents, so it is important that we address such risks.
Concern over DVLA data breaches
Concerns have been raised over the surprising volume of DVLA data breaches reported to the Information Commissioners Office (ICO) in 2019.
A data breach has to be significant enough to be reported to the ICO in most cases, so concerns over exactly what data has been breached, and how it has occurred so many times, have been raised.
Your Lawyers, as leading specialists in the field of data breach compensation law, have years of experience representing thousands of people for a host of privacy and information incidents. If you have suffered having had your data lost, stolen, exposed, or misused as a result of DVLA data breaches, you could be entitled to make a claim with us today.
Department for Work and Pensions data breach impacts 6,000 over 2 years
Over 6,000 people have reportedly been affected by the latest Department for Work and Pensions data breach, with sensitive information leaked in error.
The DWP (Department for Work and Pensions) suffered a serious data breach after publishing the sensitive details of over 6,000 individuals online for over two years. It is understood that the data was only taken down this Monday and formal investigations into the data breach have been launched.
If you have been affected by the Department for Work and Pensions data breach, you could be eligible to make a compensation claim for the loss of control of your personal information. Depending on what data of yours has been leaked, we may be able to assist you.
Home Office data breaches increasing: a cause for concern
It has been reported that the number of Home Office data breaches is on the rise, which is a huge cause for concern given the nature of the information that they store and process.
There have been issues reported over electronic equipment and devices not being adequately protected, and documents that contain sensitive information not being properly looked after. It is understood that numbers of events in some areas have increased drastically – a matter that needs to be addressed quickly.
As a leading firm of data breach compensation lawyers, we are used to holding public sector and government organisations to account. We can tell you from first-hand experience just how devastating these types of breaches can be, which is why it is important for something to be done.