Category: Ransomware

Travelex cyberattack leaves customers frustrated

The Travelex cyberattack has left customers frustrated as hackers have locked down their systems and are holding the company to ransom.

We’re taking legal action for the previous Travelex incident, which stemmed from a leak of customer data. As an expert consumer law firm that specialises in data breach compensation, we’ve spoken to the media about this incident and aired our concerns that we’re seeing yet another cyberattack incident taking place; this being one of many that have hit various businesses over the last few years.

This hack may lead to customer information being leaked or sold on for money, so there’s every reason for customers to be concerned; despite assurances from Travelex.

The future for gaming data breaches

We have previously discussed the issues surrounding gaming data breaches, and have been asked for help and representation for cases of this nature.

The market for online gaming is massive, and data will be exchanged across the world as part of activities players are engaged in. There will be a lot of accounts that contain a great deal of personal data, and there will also be financial information stored for processing payments.

There’s also a huge “black market” for hijacked accounts as well. There are the players whose accounts they have spent time and money on being stolen, and there are those who are prepared to pay for built-up accounts. This leaves serious questions over the future of gaming and how they may be affected by data breaches.

NHS digital technologies: should we be concerned?

compensation advice for hospital data breaches

Digitalisation is generally seen as a good thing, but in a day and age when data breaches are so common, should we be concerned when it comes to increasing use of NHS digital technologies?

Like many other industries, the growing use of technology can be great. We can reduce costs and wastage, increase efficiency, and make communication – which is vital – slick and smooth. When it comes to the healthcare industry, increasing use of technology and digitalisation could arguably save lives and improve patient care.

But with increasing digitalisation comes increasing vulnerability for technology to be exploited. Without adequate defences in place, it can be open season for criminals and fraudsters.

NHS cyber breach advice

experts give catastrophic data breach warning

There are still so many worries when it comes to another NHS cyber breach event like we saw with the 2017 WannaCry incident that crippled many parts of our healthcare service.

Last week, we covered the most recent study that was focused on ongoing vulnerabilities and whether we’re set to see another huge event that could affect millions of people in the UK. And a lot of the worries stem from the simple fact that there’s not always enough funding in place for proper cybersecurity. In fact, cost-cutting can subsequently lead to even greater vulnerabilities.

We can’t change the fact that vulnerabilities may not be the focus for the government. But what we can do is make sure that victims of an NHS cyber breach can access the legal help and representation they need.

Cyber-attack compensation claims advice

You can be eligible to make a claim for cyber-attack compensation if your data has been exposed as a result of a hack.

Ultimately, the law is clear in terms of the responsibility organisations have to safeguard the data that they store and process. It’s their job to ensure that they have proper cybersecurity in place to prevent a breach incident taking place, and if they fail to do so, victims are well within their rights to justice.

A lot of the group actions and multi-party legal cases we’re involved in have stemmed from cyber-attacks. This includes some of the big-name examples like British Airways, Equifax and Ticketmaster.

Rising cybercrime costs: what about the victims?

As the issue of rising cybercrime costs hits the news again, we want to make sure that the focus isn’t shifted away from those who can be hit the worst when an incident takes place; the victims.

Although organisations can end up paying significant costs in dealing with the fallout of a data breach incident, it’s the victims whose personal and sensitive information has been exposed. It’s the victims who must suffer with the distress caused by the loss of control over their information. And it’s the victims who we focus on when we represent them for claims for data breach compensation.

Importantly, victims can be entitled to claim compensation when their information is misused or exposed. Data breach compensation pay-outs are separate to fines and costs and are designed to ensure the victims are properly compensated.

Hospital cyber-attack worries remain

The worries over future hospital cyber-attack incidents are still at the forefront of many minds as more recent research suggests that the industry remains vulnerable to attack.

A recent report from Imperial College London’s Institute of Global Health Innovation (IGHI) included a stark warning about the continued vulnerability for hospitals. With the healthcare sector remaining a prime target as a result of the nature of the data it stores and processes (and the volume of it), this is worrying news.

Healthcare data breach compensation claims remain one of the most common types of cases that we take forward. News that the sector remains vulnerable is a cause for concern.

Public sector hacks continue to be a worry

Public sector hacks remain one of the more worrying aspects of worldwide data protection issues, and we can tell you from experience that these woes apply here in the UK.

We say this a lot, but the simple fact of the matter is that it’s a worrying truth. One of the most common types of compensation claims we deal with here at the Data Leak Lawyers involve public sector organisations. The most common are medical data breach claims and council data protection cases.

Yet again, we’re hearing the experts voice their concerns when it comes to public sector data protection problems, and it’s important for people to know what to do when their information it misused or exposed.

NHS email cyber-attacks at alarming numbers

Official records from NHS Digital reportedly show an alarming number of NHS email cyber-attacks, with the healthcare service said to have been hit by over 11 million in the last three years.

The data for the number of attacks that were successfully blocked was at a staggering 11,352,000 in the last three years. Although we can be positive about the fact that these attacks are those that were successfully stopped, the figures show the significant number of attacks that are taking place, and how much of a target the public healthcare system is.

The NHS was one of the worst-hit victims of the 2017 WannaCry incident as well. With them being such a target, what can be done when successful cyber-attacks take place?

Eurofins data breach a cause for concern

We represent people for police-related data incidents, and with this in mind, here’s a number of reasons as to why the recent Eurofins data breach is a worrying one.

In case you’ve not heard of this one, this relates to an organisation that the police outsource forensic work to. Eurofins reportedly process more than 70,000 cases per year, and deal with DNA analysis, toxicology, ballistics and computer forensics. As such, they can be at the heart of investigations into serious crimes, including murder, sexual offences and terrorism.

Worryingly, they were recently hit by a ransomware attack. This has led to a number of concerns about the security and quality of the work they carry out, and has caused significant disruption to police investigations.