High school data breaches

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.

The potential consequences of high school data breaches

High school data breaches can be particularly harmful due to the extent of the sensitive information held by these educational institutions. Not only do these schools often host thousands of students, and employ hundreds of staff members, they are also required to keep extensive records relating to their pupils and staff.

Some of the standard personal details can include home addresses, and the names and phone numbers of emergency contacts. However, schools may likely keep details of students’ medical information, including any disabilities. They may also have a record of any concerns about pupils’ safety and well-being, and they may also have access to information from social services. As such, high school data breaches can present significant dangers to the privacy and safety of young people and their families.

A recent high school data breach

A recent incident at a school in Southend demonstrates one of the potential causes of high school data breaches. It was alleged by a parent in May that Southchurch High School had exposed the information of students after she received two emails containing student details. The parent said that both emails related to safeguarding issues, reportedly containing dozens of students’ names, and that both were reportedly sent by staff in erorr who were working at the school.

The headteacher of the school reportedly suggested that the incident did not pose much of a threat in terms of people’s rights, but it is nevertheless concerning that such a mistake was allowed to occur not once, but twice. When handling such sensitive information, staff need to ensure that they are being much more cautious.

GDPR compensation claims

For victims of high school data breaches, the effects can be serious. If the security of your personal data or the information of your child has been compromised by a data breach, you could fight for justice via a compensation claim.

As leading experts in data breach claims, Your Lawyers – The Data Leak Lawyers – has represented victims for privacy matters for over 7 years. With our specialist insight in this area of law, we know how to ensure you receive the compensation you deserve for any distress and loss you have been caused by a data breach, representing thousands of victims for cases.

Speak to our team here now for free, no-obligation advice.

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