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We focus on the latest news surrounding data breaches, leaks and hacks plus daily internet security articles.

Tag: medical data breach

fake coronavirus vaccine
March 05, 2021

Beware of the fake coronavirus vaccine text scam

One of the latest data scams to take advantage of the coronavirus pandemic are fake coronavirus vaccine texts circulating with the goal of tricking people into making a payment for a jab.

Claiming to be from the NHS, senders have been using a tried-and-tested scam method as they ask for the input of bank account details. Fraud through text or email scams is still all too common, even though the method is relatively easy for scammers. It shows just how much damage can be done with access to an email address or phone number, which are exactly the kinds of details which are often exposed in data breaches.

At Your Lawyers – The Data Leak Lawyers – we are a leading firm that represent many clients who have fallen victim to fraud as a result of having their data exposed by a third-party business or organisation.

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cosmetic institute website breach
February 23, 2021

Cosmetic surgery data breach compensation advice

The decision to have cosmetic surgery is often something that people prefer to keep private, sometimes due to the stigma around enhancing or altering physical appearance. However, as cosmetic surgery becomes more affordable, and the types of treatments become more varied, large amounts of client information means that a cosmetic surgery data breach can represent a tempting opportunity for hackers.

The sensitivity of the information held by cosmetic clinics undoubtedly incentivises cybercriminals who are looking to misuse data for blackmail. They may believe that victims are more likely to give in to their demands to avoid any potential embarrassment from information exposure. We know how scary and precarious this situation can be, so we are able to help eligible victims to claim compensation for the exposure of cosmetic surgery data.

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leak of sensitive data
February 17, 2021

Mental health data leaks and their victims

For the victims, data leaks often take an emotional or psychological toll, with psychiatrists in some cases reporting significant distress in their patients. As such, when a leak involves mental health data, the effects can be even more devastating as the victims may already have mental health problems or conditions.

To have an added stress on top of their day-to-day difficulties could be unbearable.

Unfortunately, data breaches at healthcare organisations hit the headlines all too frequently, suggesting that there are still wide-reaching failings in their approaches to data protection. At Your Lawyers – the Data Leak Lawyers – we appreciate that the ongoing stigma surrounding mental health issues can make the effects of such data leaks even more damaging. As a leading firm of data breach lawyers, we are here to support mental health patients who have been failed by the organisations that are supposed to ensure their safety when it comes to data and privacy.

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By Ella p
physical records
February 02, 2021

Data breaches of physical records

In today’s digital world, we often expect data breaches to occur in cyber settings. However, the risk of data leaks, loss and theft involving physical records and documents is also a cause for concern, and companies still need to be vigilant in protecting their hard material information.

Incidents involving physical records can happen a lot. The all too frequent neglect of physical records is exemplified in the case of Westbury House, a Hampshire care home that closed in 2016 after being deemed an unfit care provider.

It was reportedly found to have abandoned confidential staff and patient information in the uninhabited building. The information was only proved to have been removed and secured at the start of December, 4 years after the care home’s closure. Over the course of these years, obvious negligence could have allowed trespassers to breach the building and rifle through the files. A failure of data protection such as this cannot go unnoticed.

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domestic abuse data breach
January 27, 2021

Data protection practices – protecting physical and digital data

A recent leak of patient data has called into question the data protection practices of Lloyds Pharmacy. A parcel containing the prescription records of hundreds of Lloyds pharmacy patients is believed to have been intended for an NHS recipient, but mistakenly reached a personal home 300 miles away instead.

When the unintended recipient opened the box, she was shocked at the mass of details she found, assuming they were intended for the NHS prescription services in Bolton.

While Lloyds Pharmacy has placed the blame on an external courier service who mistakenly delivered the parcel, they may not be able to sidestep their ultimate responsibility for the control and handling of their own data in accordance with the GDPR. The incident undoubtedly highlights the risks organisations take when entrusting an external party with the safety of confidential records.

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affected by a cyberattack
January 22, 2021

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.

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data breaches in hospitals
January 18, 2021

The Transform Hospital Group data breach

In the case of the recent Transform Hospital Group data breach, the large cosmetic surgery chain has been targeted by hackers who seem to be aiming to extort money from the company.

The group has not yet given a number for how many customers have been affected, but the data exposed is reported to be extensive. The inclusion of ‘before and after’ surgery photos has been a cause of particular concern among the victims, who fear they may be published on the internet.

For anyone involved in a data leak, the impact of having your information exposed can be devastating. In some of the worst of cases, the privacy of the information exposed can make the aftermath a deeply upsetting time.  We have already taken on clients who have been affected by the Transform Hospital Group data breach, so do not hesitate to contact us if you would like advice regarding your potential compensation claim.

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compensation advice for hospital data breaches
January 13, 2021

Medical data breach and the exposure of private patient information

A medical data breach is often serious as our medical data often represents the most personal information that we will ever entrust to a third party.

The faith we invest in medical professionals to protect this data is indicative of our confidence in their ability to care, and in the health service more generally.

However, this trust is at risk of being eroded due to the succession of medical data breaches that we have encountered, either first-hand or in the headlines, in recent years. When such breaches occur, the exposed information can be highly sensitive and, depending on the affected individual’s circumstances, can dramatically affect their mental state and/or their relationships. It is vital that the confidential doctor-patient relationship at the heart of the NHS is not damaged by a failure to prevent these exposures.

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Dr Thair Altaii
December 15, 2020

Dr Thair Altaii jailed for privacy violations

Whitburn GP, Dr Thair Altaii, has been jailed for privacy violations of female patients, four years after his original court date in 2014.

Dr Thair Altaii was first taken to court after images and videos of female patients were reportedly found on his personal laptop. The police investigated the matter after a complaint from one of his patients was made where she had suspected that she was being recorded.

The filming of patients can amount to a complete breach of privacy and the Data Protection Act, as well as the Human Rights Act. Any patients who have been a victim of Dr Thair Altaii could be entitled to make a compensation claim with No Win, No Fee representation. As a leading firm of data breach lawyers, we are very experienced in the complex field of data breach law and have settled cases for medical privacy violations where patients had been recorded without knowledge or consent.

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healthcare data breaches caused by human error nhs staff medical record breaches
December 10, 2020

Human error medical data breaches

Human error medical data breaches can be extremely common, and a big reason is due to the fact that many medical organisations do not direct adequate resources into preventing such breaches.

It is extremely important for medical institutions to keep the sensitive data that they hold secure and protected. When human error medical data breaches occur, an event like this can serve to undermine the GDPR and the medical staff’s responsibility to keep patient data safe. It can also undermine the trust that the victims have in the services being provided.

If you have been the victim of a human error medical data breach, do not hesitate to get in touch to see if you have a claim to make. As a leading firm of data breach compensation lawyers, our expert legal team has years of experience helping people in the complex field of data breach law, and we may be able to help you get the justice that you deserve.

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