Cyberattacks affecting employees

When cyberattacks hit businesses and other organisations, it is often the impact on customers that is considered, given that the exposure of their information can cause serious implications, both for them and for the reputation of the hacked organisation. Yet cyberattacks affecting employees can be equally severe, as their employers often hold extensive personal information about them.

As an employee, a data breach by your employer can put you in an uncomfortable position, leaving you unsure about what action you can take. It may feel difficult to hold your employer accountable for a cybersecurity incident but, if your data has been compromised by their actions or inaction, you may be able to make a data breach compensation claim.

At Your Lawyers – The Data Leak Lawyers – we have been representing claimants for matters relating to data privacy since 2014, honing our expertise in this still-developing area of law. We strongly believe that anyone who has been affected by a data breach should be able to access legal representation. If your privacy has been compromised by a data controller, contact us to receive free, no-obligation advice about your potential claim.

Types of employee information and the consequences of data exposure

When hiring new employees, companies request a variety of personal details, and employee data records often grow further over the course of a person’s employment. Some of these details can be very basic, including addresses, phone numbers and email addresses, but other information can be even more sensitive in nature, including bank account numbers and identifying details, such as ethnicity, gender, sexuality etc.

As a result of the sensitivity of the information kept by employers, data breaches and cyberattacks affecting employees can have particularly severe implications.

Data breaches and cyberattacks affecting employees

Some recent incidents can demonstrate the potential impact of cyberattacks affecting employees. For example, in 2017, it was found that the personal details of thousands of Welsh NHS staff had been stolen from a private server. The exposed information included names, dates of birth, details of radiation doses, and National Insurance numbers of staff who worked in X-ray departments.

Whilst this 2017 incident saw the NHS hacked, 2020 saw a number of cyberattacks affecting employees, including the Now:Pensions data breach. Rather than hitting employees of one company alone, the incident affected over 30,000 people who had signed up for pensions managed by Now:Pensions. These employees had their names, birth dates, postal and email addresses, and National Insurance numbers compromised.

Make your compensation claim

Cyberattacks affecting employees can be very costly and harmful for those affected, which is why it is vital that victims have a chance to claim compensation. Where we believe that there has been a breach of data protection law, we can offer No Win, No Fee legal representation to eligible claimants, helping those affected to recover the compensation they deserve.

If you believe you may have a compensation claim to make, you can contact us for free, no-obligation advice today.

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