Tag: data breach
Your data has been shared without your consent – what can you do?
When your data has been shared without your consent, the impact on you could be substantial in terms of distress and/or losses and expenses.
You could be eligible to claim compensation for any distress caused by the loss of control of your personal information. The GDPR can entitle you to seek and recover damages when this has happened, and we may be able to represent you for a legal case.
We are here to help. Please contact the team here now for assistance and advice.
Files on dark web after Stor-A-File cyberattack
It has been reported that tens of thousands of files that were exposed in the recent Stor-A-File cyberattack are now on the dark web and could be exploited by criminals.
We recently reported on the Lister Fertility Clinic data breach, which is one of the organisations affected by the cyberattack that involved services that they outsourced to Stor-A-File. The clinic has written to some 1,700 patients to inform them that their personal and sensitive medical details could be affected by the data breach. This latest development will no doubt come as a further blow now we know that information has been exposed on the dark web.
As leading Group Action Lawyers, we are taking action now and you can speak to the team here for confidential advice on pursuing a data breach compensation claim.
Lister Fertility Clinic data breach action
The Group Action Lawyers is in the early stages of working on a potential group action for anyone affected by the Lister Fertility Clinic data breach.
Correspondence is understood to be going out to those who may be affected, which could be as many as 1,700 patients. Medical records and sensitive clinical information could be exposed in the breach, so the impact on the victims could be significant.
The team is on hand now to offer free, no-obligation advice on a confidential basis here now.
ForHousing and Liberty cyberattack causes data leak
ForHousing and Liberty have recently been subjected to a ransomware attack after ForViva, a social housing group that manages properties in the North West, was targeted. While the impact of the breach has not been fully revealed, it has been stated by the company executive that a small degree of information has been leaked as a result of the event.
Though the attack is said to have begun on 26th July, the incident was first reported on 19th August, at which point ForViva issued assurances that the majority of information had been kept safe. Nevertheless, the incident may have raised concerns among tenants, staff and clients of the company, as ransomware can be one of the most serious cyber threats a company can be subjected to.
Incidents like this need to be carefully assessed to get a sense of the damage. Where data has been compromised, those affected may be eligible to claim compensation as part of a data breach claim. If you have been told that your data has been compromised in the ForHousing cyberattack, you may be entitled to claim, so contact our team today for free, no-obligation advice.
Labour Party data breach event
It is understood that the Labour Party data breach event stemmed from a ransomware cyberattack that was initiated at the end of October 2021.
The Labour Party was forced to write to members at the start of November to confirm that their personal information could be affected by the incident. Recent data shows that Labour Party membership numbers are in the region of half a million, so we could easily be talking about hundreds of thousands of people being affected in the event of any information caught up in the attack is misused or exposed.
We continue to monitor developments of this incident closely, and we are taking on claims for data breach compensation now. If personal information is misused or exposed, victims affected could be entitled to pursue a data breach compensation claim now.
Sky Vegas email promoting services sent to self-excluded customers
It appears that an error has resulted in a Sky Vegas email that was promoting enticing gambling offers was sent out on a mass basis, including to people self-excluding from gambling.
It can be possible for people to self-exclude from gambling using a platform directly or through a service such as GamStop. This can prevent them from using gambling services, and it is a vital tool to protect people who may suffer from gambling addictions and may be losing a significant amount of money. You would not expect such vulnerable people to receive an email with enticing gambling offers, and it seems that Sky Vegas should have excluded those people from their marketing promotion.
Unfortunately, they failed to do so. This may mean that people suffering from addictions could be at risk of relapsing having received the email, and we expect people to be understandably distressed over the event.
Cybersecurity month 2021 – a time to take stock
As it is every year, Cybersecurity month 2021 is the time to take stock in terms of where we are when it comes to data protection and ensuring that our private and personal information is protected.
Victims of a data breach, including a cyberattack, can be eligible to claim compensation by law. Most people claim for the distress caused by the loss of control of their personal information. With so many big breaches and large hacks taking place in recent times, it is easy to see how we now represent thousands across over 50 data actions that we have launched.
Cybersecurity month 2021 reminds us all that our work continues to be incredibly important.
Steris data breach
Steris, a US company that provides a range of medical products and services, was hit with a cybersecurity incident in late 2020. The Steris data breach was reportedly part of the collateral damage of the Accellion cyberattack, in which hackers breached the well-known technology company’s systems.
Among Accellion’s products and services is their FTA (File Transfer Appliance), which they sell to business customers to provide them with a secure means of moving digital files. However, the integrity of this application was compromised when it was subjected to an external hack, which has since been linked to the exposure and potentially the publication of private information.
Not only has the error compromised data security, the event could also put a strain on Accellion’s business relationships. The Accellion cyberattack and resultant Steris data breach demonstrate the damage that could be done to a company’s reputation when data protection breaches occur.
Twitch data leak – advice for victims
The Twitch data leak has been widely reported in the media over the last week, with the earnings and pay-out information for streamers being exposed.
So far, the Amazon-owned platform is saying that the data breach arose from a server configuration issue, but hackers have also reportedly claimed responsibility for leaking exposed information. It is understood that a list of pay-out details for streamers is doing the rounds on social media and on the web, and all evidence points toward the list being accurate.
For a platform that has prided itself on confidentiality when it comes to the earnings and pay-out information for its streamers, this data breach is alarming. For anyone who is affected in England and Wales, here is some legal advice for you.
Virgin Media data leak claims
In March 2020, news of the Virgin Media data leak revealed that as many as 900,000 UK people (mainly customers) had had their information exposed due to a system insecurity. The data protection errors that occurred within the company came with serious consequences, causing those affected to potentially become vulnerable to data misuse.
In accordance with UK data protection law, every citizen has rights that can protect them in the aftermath of a data breach. These rights can be asserted in a data breach compensation claim to ensure that third-party data controllers cannot get away with needless errors and negligence.
We believe all those affected by the Virgin Media data breach could be eligible to claim compensation for any harm caused, which is why we have launched a group action to see that justice is done. Our experience in high-profile data breach group actions means that we are well equipped to lead claims to fruition. If you were notified of your involvement in the Virgin Media data leak, we encourage you to join our action, as you may be able to recover thousands of pounds in compensation.