Tag: database security
Blackmail from a data breach- the dangers and stresses of information exposure
According to recent media reports, a large number of psychotherapy patients, who belong to the same large clinic in Finland, found themselves on the receiving end of blackmail from a data breach.
Vastaamo, a countrywide practice, appears to have been targeted in two separate breaches, one potentially occurring in March 2019, and an initial attack as far back as November 2018. It appears that victims’ personal data was stolen from the company’s data storage system.
Although this is not a case we can represent people for, with it not being in England or Wales, it is an important one to consider. Ultimately, the risks – as we often advise – when it comes to this kind of data breach can be severe.
Lichfield District Council and data protection negligence
A recent meeting of local councillors has reportedly highlighted data security problems that could put the Lichfield District Council in breach of the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR).
The issue surrounds the reported continued use of unencrypted laptops and was raised by Cllr Joanne Grange, who is understood to have expressed concerns that the problems had still not been addressed three years after they were identified in 2017.
It is understood that Cllr Grange suggested that the failure to update working practices in accordance with data protection regulations could be tantamount to “negligence”. Her statements have undoubtedly highlighted some key problems which the council should feel obliged to address as a matter of urgency.
2020: another year of data breaches
2020 has been yet another year of data breaches, resulting in our leading team of lawyers here taking on many new cases and launching several new actions.
We had hoped that the introduction of the GDPR in 2018 would lead to serious improvements and that we would see far fewer breaches, leaks and hacks. Sadly, this has not been the case and, if anything, the volume of breaches continues to grow.
What has not helped us in 2020 is, of course, the ongoing coronavirus pandemic. The increased reliance on the use of technology to be able to work and live has resulted in an increase in cyberattacks, and hackers have done their best to exploit the situation. When it comes to 2021, we expect the current trends to continue.
A data breach at Christmas: never suffer in silence
Suffering the impact of a data breach at Christmas is something we are used to helping people with on a No Win, No Fee basis.
This is the time of year when data breach numbers can increase as more people go online to spend in time for the big day. With the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, more of our shopping is now online anyway, and the dangers of breaches, leaks and hacks are evident.
If you suffer from a data breach, you should never suffer in silence. Here is how we can help you.
Misuse of Police database for personal use data breach compensation advice
Taking advantage of the police database for personal use can amount to an extreme breach of privacy and an abuse of power by the individual accessing the information.
Accessing the police database for personal use means that the person who is accessing personal and sensitive data does not have the authority or right to do so, and it may not relate to any past or active cases of the individual.
In many cases, the data breach victim is known to the employee and it is a case of data snooping. Data breaches of this nature can be severe and may involve someone the police officer has a negative relationship with, meaning the risks can be significant. Under no circumstances should staff abuse the police database for personal use. If they do, and you have been a victim of a data breach of this nature, you could be eligible to make a data breach compensation claim with the Data Leak Lawyers today.
Manchester United cyberattack
In November 2020, Manchester United was targeted by cybercriminals. The Manchester United cyberattack came as a shock to fans, with some worried that games could be postponed.
However, the club has spoken out and said that they were ‘confident’ that no critical systems required for the upcoming matches were breached and the games went on safely.
It appears that, in this case, information has not been exposed, which is great to hear. When a system is breached, it can put victims of the breach in danger if personal information is at risk of exposure, and victims could be eligible to make a compensation claim relating to the severity of the breach.
Financial services data breach advice
Financial services data breaches are becoming bigger and bigger problems, with some research indicating that most exposed information came from financial services data breaches last year.
According to a report from the data protection company Bitglass, compiled from data by the Identity Theft Resource Center (ITRC) and the Ponemon Institute, although the financial services industry contributed to 62% of data exposed last year, it only accounted for 6.5% of data breaches in total. This suggests that, whilst they only contribute to a small percentage of reported data breaches overall, an enormous amount of data is exposed in these breaches.
Your Lawyers (T/a The Data Leak Lawyers) is a leading firm of data breach compensation experts, and this research does not come as a surprise to us. We have pioneered data breach action since 2014 and we are passionate about fighting for justice for the victims of data breaches. We are here to help anyone that has suffered because of their sensitive information being misused or exposed in a data breach, and we offer free, no-obligation advice to victims.
Data breaches in the travel industry
Data breaches in the travel industry can be a common thing, and we are representing clients for individual cases and in group and multi-party actions for this type of breach.
Data breaches can have a huge impact on victims if their information is exposed or stolen by hackers – it can cause not only financial losses, it can also cause immense stress for both the victim and their families. Our job is to fight for justice for victims of a data breach and make sure that organisations are held to account for their shortfalls.
We are passionate about the importance of data breach security, and one of the best ways to get that message across is for people to make compensation claims when their information is breached. This can (hopefully) mean that the organisation will take the potential of future breaches more seriously.
If you have been affected by any data breaches in the travel industry, it is important to make your claim as soon as possible. We will also link you to some of the group action areas as well.
Accessing patient records without authority – advice for victims
A big problem surrounding medical data breaches, and one of the most concerning, is when a member of staff breaches confidentiality by accessing patient records without clinical justification.
We entrust medical employees and NHS staff to safeguard our personal medical data and only access it as part of our treatment or care. That is why it is so concerning when a member of staff is accessing patient records with no medical reasoning or no proper authority to do so.
It is sometimes hard to know what exactly they are using the data for, potentially putting individuals at risk by exposing sensitive data. In many cases, the perpetrators know the victims, which can make the distress for the victims even worse.
Prestige Software data breach
Millions of users’ data has been put at risk of exposure in the Prestige Software data breach. Prestige Software operates on behalf of some of the biggest hotel online services, including Booking.com, Expedia, and Hotels.com, storing their users’ guest data in an online cloud database.
If you have been affected by the Prestige Software data breach, you could be eligible to make a data breach compensation claim for any distress caused by loss of control of your personal information. If your data has been targeted by criminals and you have suffered as a result of scams or fraudulent activity, you could also be eligible to make a compensation claim for any losses and expenses incurred.
Whether a claim could be brought or not may depend on the extent of the exposure and the potential risks that may be involved.