Trafford Housing Trust data breach

We have been approached for legal help following the recently identified Trafford Housing Trust data breach, and we have agreed to take action forward on a No Win, No Fee basis.

An outsourced contractor that the Trust uses has reportedly been hit by a cyberattack, and the result is that personal information has now been exposed.

Victims of a cyberattack can be entitled to claim data breach compensation to recover damages for any distress caused by the loss of control of their personal information. If any losses and expenses are incurred, these could also be considered.

About the Trafford Housing Trust data breach

From what we have been informed of so far, the Trafford Housing Trust data breach stems from a cyberattack that a third-party contractor to the Trust suffered back in July. It appears that the Trust was only informed about the cyberattack in mid-November, and it has since written to people who may have been affected.

Notifications sent to those who may be affected confirm that an “unauthorised person or organisation has been able to access some of the data that they hold”, and that information affected may include:

• Names.
• Addresses.
• Telephone numbers.
• Signatures.

Action has been taken to ensure that the unauthorised access how now stopped, and checks have been completed on the systems that may have been affected. Regulators have also been notified about the incident.

Victims warned to be vigilant

In this day and age, it is quite common for organisations to outsource work to contractors. Unfortunately, whilst it should be expected that contractors will not be the cause of a breach, and due diligence should always take place, third-party breaches can be common. The result is not only a problem for the affected victims, but also for the companies that the data has stemmed from.

Those who have been caught up in the Trafford Housing Trust data breach have been warned to be vigilant. These kinds of cyberattacks can be the gateway to criminals trying to commit fraud and theft, targeting those whose personal information has been exposed.

As we often say, a little information can go a long way. Even data like the information affected in this cyberattack could be enough for cybercriminals to do some serious damage. The part about signatures being affected is a particular concern in the context of the breach as well.

Fraudsters may now contact victims and they could claim to be contacting them about the breach, or about things like housing repairs and complaints. If they have access to genuine data that has been stolen from the contractor, this could be used to dupe victims into thinking that the criminals contacting them are legitimate people. This is something victims of the data breach will need to be very wary of.

What victims can do

As confirmed above, we have already been approached for help and we have agreed to take action forward on a No Win, No Fee basis. This means that we can write off our legal fees if a case does not succeed, subject to the terms and conditions as agreed.

If you have been notified that you have been affected by the Trafford Housing Trust data breach, we may be able to represent you for a legal case as well. Please do not hesitate to contact us here now for free, no-obligation advice.

Your Lawyers is a leading firm of data breach experts representing thousands of people for data claims, including in over 50 data group and multi-party actions. We are here to help.

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