Compensation for public sector data breaches

Public sector data breaches can have a significant impact on those who are affected, and we can represent victims of such incidents on a No Win, No Fee basis.

We are Your Lawyers, and we are Leading Data Leak Lawyers who have been fighting for justice in this niche and complex area of law for a significant period of time, much longer than a lot of other firms out there. We have recovered over £1m for our clients to date in mostly singular cases, and we represent thousands of people engaged in privacy claims for compensation.

You can speak to our team for free, no-obligation legal advice here now.

The impact of public sector data breaches

Public sector data breaches can have a significant impact on the victims involved, given the nature of the information that such organisations will store and process. We could be talking about local authorities, GP surgeries, hospitals, the government, the Ministry of Justice, the Home Office, and many more. Such organisations will have access to very personal and sensitive information, which could include special category data such as medical information, disability data, and sensitive domestic information. Financial data may also be involved.

As such, public sector data breaches could lead to very personal and sensitive information being misused or exposed. This is why hackers will target such organisations, and why it is important that such organisations have excellent data protection practices and policies in place. It only takes one error or one weakness in a defence and information could be leaked or stolen, and this could affect thousands or even millions of people.

Anyone who has been affected by public sector data breaches could be entitled to claim GDPR compensation, and you can speak to our team for free, no-obligation legal advice here now.

ICO takes action against six public sector organisations

When it comes to preventing public sector data breaches, the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) has an important role in respect of regulation enforcement.

The ICO recently confirmed that they had taken action against six public sector organisations that reportedly failed to respond in time to Subject Access Requests (SAR) within the required timeframes. The ICO confirmed that the Home Office, the Ministry of Defence, Kent Police, and the London boroughs of Croydon, Hackney and Lambeth had all faced action as a result of the handling of SARs.

It is understood that the ICO found that these organisations have been repeatedly not meeting the deadlines in accordance with the GDPR for responding to information requests. The importance of people’s entitlement to their information via Subject Access Requests cannot be ignored, and any organisation in breach of the GDPR when it comes to the rights of those who are allowed – by law – to receive their information must not go unpunished.

Importance of local authority cybersecurity

The importance of local authority cybersecurity cannot be understated, given the nature of the information that councils will store and process for people. We often say that it could include the full range of data, from personal details to financial information for payment matters, and sensitive medical and domestic data for civic services and social services requirements.

Hackers target local councils because they know that they could steal swathes of very personal and sensitive information. It is, therefore, important that local authority cybersecurity is always the best that it can be, because it only takes one small hole in the defence for criminals to exploit in order to steal a significant volume of incredibly sensitive information.

If you have been affected by a local authority cybersecurity incident, you could be entitled to claim compensation – speak to our team for free advice here now.

Compensation for data breaches affecting children

Claim compensation in the aftermath of a data breach