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.
In recent months, cyberattacks on the education sector have been rising, and Skinners’ Kent schools were among the targets last year. In early June 2021, it was revealed that Skinners’ Kent Academy Trust had reportedly succumbed to a hack, leaving the school unable to stay open.
At their worst, coordinated cyberattacks can make computer systems inoperable, and the hackers who have taken control may be able to steal personal information. Pupil information was likely put at risk in the hack at Skinners’ Kent schools, enabling it to be stolen by the hackers.
Many schools hold highly sensitive information about their pupils, which can heighten the risk to privacy when a data security incident occurs. Schools, like all organisations, have a duty to eliminate such risk as far as possible. Where they fail in this responsibility, they may be in breach of data protection law.
Following a cyberattack that took place in summer 2021 that affected IT provider Cantium, it has been reported that data leaked from Kent schools has now reportedly landed on the dark web.
If this is the case, there could be people whose personal and sensitive information is now in the hands of criminals and fraudsters who could use it to try to commit fraud and theft. Victims of the data breach, whoever they may be, will need to be very careful and vigilant, and steps will need to be taken to protect anyone that could be affected.
Educational institutions have been targeted by cyberattacks with increasing frequency in the past few months, so the risk to the private information that is held by schools appears to be pronounced. In this climate of hacks and ransomware, it is important that high schools are doing everything they possibly can to protect the sensitive information of students, staff and parents, or there could be an increasing number of high school data breaches.
All schools hold a wealth of information about their pupils, from home addresses to medical information. It is important that teachers can access these details when necessary for the purposes of safeguarding and student welfare, but this also means that schools have an obligation to manage and process this information securely.
If you or your child has been affected by a high school data breach, you may be eligible to make a data breach claim for any harm caused. Where schools are responsible for the exposure of private information, they must be held accountable. Claiming compensation can be a route to ensuring that justice is achieved.
In September 2020, the National Cyber Security Centre issued an alert, warning of increasing ransomware affecting schools, as well as colleges and universities. Earlier in 2021, the alert was updated to warn of yet another spike. The numerous headlines, especially over the summer, suggested that schools have been hit particularly hard, with successful attacks that can harm many people emerging on a regular basis.
Ransomware remains one of the most prominent cybersecurity threats faced by businesses and organisations in today’s digital age. Via ransomware, attackers could gain the power to take control of entire systems or networks. They could bring operations to a standstill, and could potentially steal swathes of private information. Where schools are concerned, ransomware can be particularly dangerous, as these organisations often hold a great deal of sensitive information relating to vulnerable children and young people.
As the ransomware threat shows no sign of abetting, it is essential that schools take action to improve their prevention and response methods, or they could be liable for the exposure of extensive personal data. Where a school has failed to protect the private details of you or your child, you could be eligible to pursue a data breach compensation claim now.
School cyberattacks represent some of the most significant threats to data privacy in the UK, primarily because of the sensitivity of the information that school systems hold.
While cybersecurity procedures will hopefully be followed well by most staff, the effects can be dangerous when a cyberattack exposes children, parent, or staff information.
Teachers and schools have an important duty of care for their pupils and are often privy to confidential information to allow them to protect children and provide tailored educational plans. This means that a lot of private information falls under their protection, whether this is provided by children and families, or shared with them by social services.
Some statistics have put the number of downloads for mental health apps at one million since the start of the coronavirus pandemic, and these apps have been around for quite some time.
The additional strain that the pandemic is causing on our mental wellbeing is widely recognised, and the increased usage of such apps doesn’t come as a surprise. But people do need to be careful, and some apps will be more secure than others. It’s a perfect opportunity for scammers to try to muscle their way in to get hold of sensitive information too.
So, should we be concerned, what may happen if an app is breached, and what can we do to help people?
Victims of a school cybersecurity breach can be entitled to make a claim for compensation on a No Win, No Fee basis with the help of our expert team.
Any misuse, exposure or loss of information that stems from a school data breach can lead to significant distress for the victims, and it’s important that they’re entitled to justice for what has happened. Whether it’s a breach, hack, leak, or someone misusing information they have access to, or in any other circumstances, a claim could be made.
For several years, we have been at the forefront of data breach compensation claiming as a leading law firm that specialises in this niche area of law. Our advice is available for you on a free and no-obligation basis, and we’ll do all we can to fight for the rights of victims who instruct us for a legal case.
If you or your dependent has been the victim of a college data breach, you can be entitled to bring a claim for compensation for any distress and / or financial loss that has been caused.
Most students at college will be under 18, and in these circumstances, a parent or guardian can bring the case for them as their formal ‘Litigation Friend’. We can offer the same No Win, No Fee representation we can offer for other cases, and damages can be awarded for any impact to the victim. If you’re an employee, we can help you as well.
Here’s some advice if this is an issue that has affected you or someone that you know.
The new legislation that came into force in May 2018 could lead to many incidents and violations, and this includes issues involving a school GDPR breach.
We must remember that all organisations – no matter how big or how small, or whether they’re private or public – are responsible for complying with the GDPR. For schools, not only is the duty there, but we must also account for the fact that the data subjects are young; and therefore vulnerable individuals.
Although schools will need to have adapted in similar ways that businesses have, they cannot take for granted the extra care required given that it’s children involved. If a breach occurs, victims should know their rights.
Public sector data leaks are one of the most common types when it comes to data breach compensation claims that we represent people for.
With this in mind, we wanted to make sure that victims of such data leaks know their rights. It can sometimes be confusing when you look at what you can do when it’s not a private organisation with insurance; but rest assured, the law is on your side.
As a firm of lawyers who have been specialising in data leak cases for a number of years, we can help and advise you. Thousands of people have asked us for our expert help, and our lawyers are involved with dozens of different data breach group and multi-party actions for a reason; many of which involve public sector data leaks.
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