Category: Hacking News
Guntrader data breach
Following a breach of Guntrader.uk, a website that leads in buying and selling of guns in the UK, it is understood that thousands of customers have had their names and addresses exposed. As a result of the Guntrader data breach, those who used the site may have reportedly had their personal information posted to the dark web.
The breach is particularly concerning given the safety risks of making the identities and potential whereabouts of gun owners known to potential criminals. As investigations continue, it is not yet clear how the data theft was allowed to occur. However, if it is found that Guntrader bears responsibility for the information exposure, it could be held liable for a breach of data protection law.
If you have been affected by the Guntrader data breach, we recommend that you come forward to seek legal advice, as there may be grounds for a compensation claim. It is always distressing to learn that your private information could be circulating in the public domain, so it is vital that any responsible parties are held accountable for the harm caused.
Redcar and Cleveland Council cyberattack
In February last year, it was revealed that Redcar and Cleveland Council had fallen prey to a cyber-attack, bringing many of its online resident services to a standstill for a prolonged period of time. Although systems were eventually repaired and services reinstated, the effects of the cyberattack are still being felt now, over a year after the attack, primarily in the huge financial toll it took on the council.
In fact, the government has been set to intervene to help the council with the funding, after millions of pounds were expended on the effort of rebuilding its systems. The prolonged recovery work raises questions about whether Redcar and Cleveland Council’s systems should have been stronger in order to defend against the attack in the first place, and whether the council had an attack response plan in place before they were hit.
This all shows how costly an attack can be, and why it is always so much better to take preventative action instead of an event taking place.
Claims for Police Federation of England and Wales data breach
Around two years ago, the Police Federation of England and Wales was hit by a cyberattack, and we began taking claims forward soon after the data breach incident occurred. Although it was initially believed that no personal information affected, it was nevertheless a possibility that employee data may have been exposed to unauthorised access.
The case against the Police Federation is one of many data breach group actions we are pursuing. As leading specialists in data breach claims, we are fighting for justice in a number of high-profile actions, including those against Equifax, Virgin Media and British Airways.
As with all our data breach group actions, we are offering No Win, No Fee representation to eligible victims of the Police Federation data breach. You can contact us today if you are considering starting a claim.
AX data breach (Accident Exchange) – make your compensation claim
We have been approached for help following the Accident Exchange – AX data breach – which is understood to have occurred earlier this year in January. The company is said to have suffered a cyberattack which led to the exposure of client information, with an external third-party accessing the company’s systems.
Those affected by the breach have recently been notified by AX (formerly Accident Exchange) that their personal information might have been affected, though it is still unclear exactly what details may have been exposed in all cases.
We have already begun taking on claims for those affected, who could be in line to receive compensation for the exposure of their private data. All companies are legally obliged to protect the data in their possession and, when they fail to do so, they can be liable to pay damages for a breach of data protection law.
The risks of reusing passwords
As a standard recommendation of IT professionals and security specialists, many of us will be aware that it is advisable to use a range of passwords, but we believe that the importance of this advice cannot be understated. Many studies have shown that people continue to risk their data security by reusing passwords across their online accounts, and this is dangerous.
There is now a whole subsection of cybercrime built around the theft and misuse of account credentials, so it is vital that consumers do not put themselves at greater risk by reusing passwords.
Personal information is a highly valuable resource to cybercriminals, and passwords can be particularly profitable, given that they can sometimes unlock private accounts containing further personal information. A password is meant to be a key form of protection, so why are we compromising this security technique by reusing passwords?
Ticketmaster data group action
In June 2018, Ticketmaster revealed that a security incident had affected its website, causing the personal information of customers to be exposed. Discovered on 23rd June, the information was exposed due to the actions of an external hacker, but questions were raised regarding how far the incident had been caused by Ticketmaster’s own alleged negligence. We began taking on claims soon after the breach was announced, and we are now running our Ticketmaster data group action to ensure that those affected can receive the compensation that they deserve.
The breach has potentially demonstrated how insufficient cybersecurity could be responsible for mass information exposure. Thousands of customers had sensitive payment details exposed as a result of what we understand to be a system vulnerability, so we believe that Ticketmaster must answer for what has happened.
If you have been affected by this data breach, you can contact our team to find out if you have a compensation claim to make.
Hacked Npower accounts
In late February, it was revealed that some customers of energy company Npower had suffered hacks of their accounts via the customer app that affected its users’ private data. The company has not put a number on the victims affected, but it is believed that the attack took place in early February, after which those affected were notified of their involvement. It is currently understood that Npower is not to blame for the hack, with no evidence that the company has breached data protection law. We will outline how the hacks happened in this article. Nevertheless, those with hacked Npower accounts are at immediate risk of fraud, with criminals targeting accounts to try to break into them as opposed to successfully breaking into Npower’s own servers and systems.
As advocates of data security, we believe it is important to highlight the risks Npower app users have been exposed to, even where the company is found to not be at fault for what has happened. Even if you have not been affected by the cyberattack, it still offers a valuable lesson about the risks of data exposure and the actions we can take as individuals to protect our personal data, and how criminals can target accounts to break into them.
easyJet Cyberattack Compensation Claims
In May last year, the news of the EasyJet cyberattack hit the headlines when the airline publicly admitted that the data of nine million customers had been hacked. Although the attack was first identified as early as January, some customers did not hear about their involvement in the breach until May.
Now, just over a year since the news of the incident broke, we continue to take on claims for those affected by the cyberattack. If easyJet is found to responsible for the exposure of their customers’ data, the company could be liable to pay out thousands of pounds in compensation to the victims.
As a leading firm of data breach and consumer actions lawyers, Your Lawyers- The Data Leak Lawyers – is leading a number of high-profile group actions against large companies, including travel companies like Marriott and British Airways. We have been representing clients for privacy matters since 2014, so we have the expertise needed to bring your data breach claim to fruition. Anyone affected by the easyJet cyberattack can contact us today to start their claim.
Cloud data leaks and compensation advice
In the digital era, private information is stored not only in filing cabinets and on computer hard drives, but also on cloud storage systems. Cloud computing is a key component of many businesses’ digital operations, meaning that many of the companies to which you have disclosed your personal information may choose to store it in a cloud database. When correctly operated, cloud storage systems can be nice and secure but, if not, cloud data leaks can occur, and your data may be at risk of becoming accessible online to unauthorised third parties.
Businesses must take care to implement appropriate security provisions when storing private data in the cloud. Unfortunately, many fail in their data protection responsibilities, leaving your information vulnerable to misuse.
If you have fallen victim to a data breach, you may be able to claim compensation for any harm caused to you. We strongly believe that your data security should never be compromised by a third party, which is why we help victims of data breaches to achieve the justice that they deserve.
Synthetic identity theft – data breach claims advice
Personal data is an incredibly valuable resource for cybercriminals who are developing increasingly sophisticated ways of stealing personal information and using it to commit fraud. Although many people may understand or have at least heard of identity theft, synthetic identity theft is a less familiar concept for many people. It is a risk that everyone should be aware of in our view, as it is one of the more sophisticated and evasive methods in the current cybercrime landscape.
Your Lawyers – The Data Leak Lawyers – as leading specialists in data protection claims, are always looking to raise awareness about data security issues and the potential cybercrime that can result from data breaches. If consumers remain unconscious of the risks and how they can happen, people may then be unaware of the right to make a claim if something does happen. To hold companies to account, we can bring compensation claims against them on behalf of data breach victims.
If you think you have been affected by a breach of data protection law, you can contact us for advice on your potential claim.