Category: Hacking News
Blackmail from a data breach- the dangers and stresses of information exposure
According to recent media reports, a large number of psychotherapy patients, who belong to the same large clinic in Finland, found themselves on the receiving end of blackmail from a data breach.
Vastaamo, a countrywide practice, appears to have been targeted in two separate breaches, one potentially occurring in March 2019, and an initial attack as far back as November 2018. It appears that victims’ personal data was stolen from the company’s data storage system.
Although this is not a case we can represent people for, with it not being in England or Wales, it is an important one to consider. Ultimately, the risks – as we often advise – when it comes to this kind of data breach can be severe.
The Transform Hospital Group data breach
In the case of the recent Transform Hospital Group data breach, the large cosmetic surgery chain has been targeted by hackers who seem to be aiming to extort money from the company.
The group has not yet given a number for how many customers have been affected, but the data exposed is reported to be extensive. The inclusion of ‘before and after’ surgery photos has been a cause of particular concern among the victims, who fear they may be published on the internet.
For anyone involved in a data leak, the impact of having your information exposed can be devastating. In some of the worst of cases, the privacy of the information exposed can make the aftermath a deeply upsetting time. We have already taken on clients who have been affected by the Transform Hospital Group data breach, so do not hesitate to contact us if you would like advice regarding your potential compensation claim.
British Airways data breach settlement could lead to £2.4bn pay-out
As pressure mounts on the airline, a British Airways data breach settlement is on the cards as the legal representatives of BA alert the court of their intentions to engage in negotiations.
The breaking news of this development comes from leading consumer action and data breach firm Your Lawyers, with wide coverage so far with major media outlets including The Sun and The Mirror. Your Lawyers, who sit on the Steering Committee responsible for the overall conduct of the litigation, declare that this is a massive step forward. This could signal the start of the end of the action that is now entering its third year, and it could represent an incredibly significant compensation pay-out bill that could reach up to £2.4 billion to be shared between over 400,000 victims if all initiate a claim.
The announcement signifies what we always believed should have been on the horizon. A settlement could effectively draw a line under the serious 2018 data breach that shocked the world. We urge victims who have yet to claim to come forward to start their case before the deadline to claim expires soon.
HaveIBeenPwned and increase in hacks and incidents
The HaveIBeenPwned platform watches for breaches and can be used to check email addresses to see if an account linked to that email has been compromised in a data breach.
Over the last few months, HaveIBeenPwned has reported huge numbers of data breaches involving millions of records. This can highlight just how frequently these serious breaches are taking place, which is bad for us all.
Data breaches are becoming an increasing threat in society, particularly with the way 2020 evolved with a huge increase in people working from home due to the coronavirus pandemic. Your Lawyers (T/a The Data Leak Lawyers) are experts in the field of data breach law as a leading firm of compensation experts, and we are always keen to help victims of data breaches and fight for the justice that they deserve. We have helped thousands of victims claim millions in damages, and we may be able to help you too.
Stone Refurb data breach
The Stone Refurb data breach involves the Staffordshire-based IT company formally known as Encore PC.
They suffered a data breach in 2020 after reportedly being targeted by a cyberattack. Staffordshire police are understood to be investigating the cyberattack and they have urged anyone with information to contact them.
If you have been affected by a data breach where your personal details have been exposed, you could be eligible to make a claim for compensation with us today. We are a leading firm of data breach lawyers with years of experience representing victims for data breach claims. To talk to our team of experts today, see our contact page here for more information.
2020: another year of data breaches
2020 has been yet another year of data breaches, resulting in our leading team of lawyers here taking on many new cases and launching several new actions.
We had hoped that the introduction of the GDPR in 2018 would lead to serious improvements and that we would see far fewer breaches, leaks and hacks. Sadly, this has not been the case and, if anything, the volume of breaches continues to grow.
What has not helped us in 2020 is, of course, the ongoing coronavirus pandemic. The increased reliance on the use of technology to be able to work and live has resulted in an increase in cyberattacks, and hackers have done their best to exploit the situation. When it comes to 2021, we expect the current trends to continue.
A data breach at Christmas: never suffer in silence
Suffering the impact of a data breach at Christmas is something we are used to helping people with on a No Win, No Fee basis.
This is the time of year when data breach numbers can increase as more people go online to spend in time for the big day. With the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, more of our shopping is now online anyway, and the dangers of breaches, leaks and hacks are evident.
If you suffer from a data breach, you should never suffer in silence. Here is how we can help you.
People’s Energy data breach – advice for English and Welsh customers
We have been approached for advice and have agreed to take forward No Win, No Fee compensation claims for those affected by the People’s Energy data breach.
News of the People’s Energy data breach has just broken in the media following the discovery of the cyberattack yesterday. We have already been approached for help and have agreed to take legal action now – if you have received confirmation that you are affected, please do not hesitate to contact our team for free, no-obligation advice now.
As a leading firm of data breach compensation lawyers, we are often approached immediately by victims when a new cyberattack or data leak emerges. Representing thousands of clients, having launched over 45 data breach group actions, we are ready to take claims for this new breach forward now for anyone based in England and Wales.
Manchester United cyberattack
In November 2020, Manchester United was targeted by cybercriminals. The Manchester United cyberattack came as a shock to fans, with some worried that games could be postponed.
However, the club has spoken out and said that they were ‘confident’ that no critical systems required for the upcoming matches were breached and the games went on safely.
It appears that, in this case, information has not been exposed, which is great to hear. When a system is breached, it can put victims of the breach in danger if personal information is at risk of exposure, and victims could be eligible to make a compensation claim relating to the severity of the breach.
Financial services data breach advice
Financial services data breaches are becoming bigger and bigger problems, with some research indicating that most exposed information came from financial services data breaches last year.
According to a report from the data protection company Bitglass, compiled from data by the Identity Theft Resource Center (ITRC) and the Ponemon Institute, although the financial services industry contributed to 62% of data exposed last year, it only accounted for 6.5% of data breaches in total. This suggests that, whilst they only contribute to a small percentage of reported data breaches overall, an enormous amount of data is exposed in these breaches.
Your Lawyers (T/a The Data Leak Lawyers) is a leading firm of data breach compensation experts, and this research does not come as a surprise to us. We have pioneered data breach action since 2014 and we are passionate about fighting for justice for the victims of data breaches. We are here to help anyone that has suffered because of their sensitive information being misused or exposed in a data breach, and we offer free, no-obligation advice to victims.