Increasing threats of a cloud data breach

The increasing threats of a cloud data breach are likely set to continue as more of the world becomes digitised, with systems and servers moved into the cloud.

As we often say, it only takes one weak link for hackers to break in and potentially expose swathes of very personal and sensitive information. Victims of such a data breach could be entitled to pursue a No Win, No Fee legal case and we provide free, no-obligation legal advice here for those affected by a data breach.

How bad can a cloud data breach be?

Hosting databases on the cloud is becoming an increasingly popular solution in today’s continually digitising world. But with increased digitisation comes increased risks, and this must always be respected.

Really, a cloud data breach could be absolutely catastrophic. If more systems, servers and databases are being stored in the cloud, it only takes one weak spot for hackers to break in to, and they could potentially expose swathes of information. If this is for a large company that deals with tens of thousands of customers, or even millions of users, we could see a monumental data breach affecting a substantial volume of people. Whilst even a little bit of information can go a long way to allow hackers to exploit it, because more information is now being stored in the cloud, if the data affected is particularly personal and sensitive and affects lots of people, we could be talking about a catastrophic cloud data breach event.

Over the last few years, we have seen some huge data breaches, such as the Equifax hack of 2017 and the EasyJet cyberattack of 2020, both of which affected millions of people. The impact of those were substantial, so you can see how bad it can be when personal and sensitive information is affected. If a cloud data breach takes place, affecting a large volume of people, the impact could be substantial, as we said above.

What can victims of a breach do?

Victims of a data breach can be entitled to claim GDPR compensation for any loss of control of their personal information. A privacy case can allow a victim to recover damages for any distress that has been caused, which is what most people claim for. If losses and expenses have also been a factor, these can be considered, but they are not essential to be able to pursue a privacy claim.

Data breach compensation amounts in the UK will generally reflect the impact and severity of the incident on the victim. Generally speaking, the more a person suffers, the more a claim could be worth. We can measure this in several ways, including how much information is affected, the nature of the data involved, and the personal impact which can differ from person to person.

As we have been specialising in this niche area of law for so long, our average settlement for damages alone is at just over £6,000 per claimant for mostly individual cases.

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

Data protection breach at work in the UK

When it comes to a cloud data protection breach at work in the UK, the victim could be entitled to pursue compensation for any distress and loss that has been caused. An employer has a responsibility to protect the information of their employees. If they are responsible for a data breach, that is when a person could pursue a case.

Even if it is a colleague that is at fault, you could still be eligible to claim because an employer can be found to be vicariously liable for the negligence of an employee. Make sure to speak to our team for free, no-obligation legal advice here now.

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