Watford Community Housing data breach- one year on

In late March 2020, a data breach at Watford Community Housing Trust caused the exposure of thousands of tenants’ personal information. The information, much of which was highly sensitive in nature, was mistakenly leaked in an email. This was an error which, though simple, has caused distress and security risks for many of the victims.

We believe that there continues to be little understanding of the repercussions that victims can suffer following a data breach. However, we are determined to change this disregard by supporting clients to achieve the justice they deserve. The GDPR can entitle victims to claim compensation for their involvement in a data breach and the damage caused, so we can help anyone affected by the Watford Community Housing data breach to assert this legal right.

You can contact us today or sign up for a call-back to find out if you may be eligible to claim compensation.

What happened in the Watford Community Housing data breach?

On 23^rd March 2020, a routine email was sent out to tenants of Watford Community Housing Trust, and the leak arose due to the accidental attachment of a spreadsheet containing the personal data of all 3,545 tenants.

Some of the exposed information included was extremely sensitive, as it included details of ethnicity, religion, gender, and sexual orientation, as well as full names, home addresses, mobile numbers, and email addresses.

In effect, all the tenants listed in the spreadsheet were given a substantial identity profile of each fellow Watford Community Housing tenant. In the wrong hands, this data could have made tenants unsafe in their own homes, as well as exposing them to potential financial loss due to the fraud and scam attempts that they could be targeted with.

The progress of our compensation claims

As a data controller, Watford Community Housing Trust has a legal obligation to adopt proper cybersecurity measures and data protection procedures to prevent data breaches. We believe the trust has breached this duty, and it is on this basis that we started taking on claims.

We have already been instructed by many affected claimants, some of whom were already in vulnerable situations before their data was exposed, so the additional risks which now threaten them make this data breach unforgivable. Some may now be forced to move to a new house, or change jobs, actions which come with significant financial expense, as well as a mental health impact.

Fortunately, we are confident in our ability to secure compensation for victims. Based on the current progress of the action, we are looking to settle claims as soon as we possibly can. This means that victims may be able to recover compensation for any financial losses, expenses, distress, or psychological injuries that they may have suffered.

We are here to help

As a firm with extensive experience in data breach claims, we know how distressing it can be to have such private information exposed to potential misuse. We also believe that Watford Community Housing Trust should not be let off lightly simply because an accidental error brought about the data breach.

If you have been affected by the Watford Community Housing data breach, please contact us to receive free, no-obligation advice on your potential claim.

As specialists in group actions, we are confident in our ability to recover compensation for victims of the breach, which means are able to offer No Win, No Fee representation to eligible claimants.