Big GDPR fines and data breach compensation claims
In recent years, the development of data protection law has allowed for greater penalties to be issued by regulators. In 2018, the GDPR was introduced in the UK as part of a rollout across the EU and, since then, some organisations have been levied with big GDPR fines, sometimes even reaching the millions or tens of millions of pounds.
In the UK, the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO), the official data protection regulator, has issued some fines using the GDPR, imposing serious punishments for the data controllers involved. As important as this enforcement action is, it does not automatically allow the victims of data breaches to receive the compensation they deserve.
At Your Lawyers, we are specialists in data breach claims and group actions, and we have been involved in some of the biggest data protection lawsuits of recent years. In these group actions, we fight to win compensation for our clients, who have unjustly had their privacy rights breached. If you were affected by the Virgin Media data breach, you may be able to claim in our group action today.
Data protection errors can cause inappropriate access to data
Good data protection is all about strict regulations and protective technological measures, and mistakes in either of these areas can cause inappropriate access to data events. Whether this is one user unintentionally being allowed to view sensitive information, or a cyberattack incident in which hackers steal large quantities of private data, all such incidents can have serious repercussions.
In the Virgin Media data breach, personal information became subjected to unauthorised access after a supposedly secure database was the subject of an operational error. The incident is demonstrative of the fact that even seemingly small mistakes can have wide-reaching consequences for data security.
In our eyes, the data controller – Virgin Media – bears the overall responsibility for any harm caused to its data subjects, many of whom were customers of the company. If you were adversely impacted by the Virgin Media data breach, you could be eligible to claim compensation for any harm caused, so sign up today via our online form if you want to join the fight for justice.
How to claim GDPR compensation for the Virgin Media leak
If you need to know how to claim GDPR compensation as a victim of the Virgin Media data leak that was revealed in early 2020, we can help.
We have made the process for initiating your claim for compensation quick and easy with this dedicated site here where you can sign up to join the action here now. In this article, we will also briefly go into what you could claim for and give you a little insight into how it works as well.
Data falling into the hands of criminals
When a data breach occurs, the impact can often be data exposure, with the information being made vulnerable to access, and potentially to misuse, by unauthorised third parties. In some of the worst cases, the information exposure can cause victims’ personal data to fall into the hands of criminals, which is a major cause for concern.
Personal information can be highly valuable to cybercriminals. In fact, there is a whole facet of cybercrime dedicated to the theft, circulation and misuse of personal data. This data can be the key to a wealth of financial gain for cybercriminals.
While cybercriminals and fraudsters are often untraceable, and so they cannot be easily held accountable, you could achieve justice for a data breach you have been affected by if a third-party company was responsible. If the errors of a data controller led to your information finding its way into the hands of criminals, this could constitute a breach of data protection law. We believe that Virgin Media is to blame for exposing the data of 900,000 customers, so if you were affected, you could be eligible to recover thousands of pounds in our group action.
Synthetic identity theft- an effect of data exposure
When personal information reaches the hands of cybercriminals, it can become vulnerable to many different forms of malicious misuse. While some methods are more basic than others, tactics such as synthetic identity theft can be more sophisticated and can make the perpetrator even harder to trace.
In order to maintain data security, it is important that both consumers and businesses are aware of the challenges that they are up against. This is particularly the case for organisations that fulfil the role of a data controller, meaning that they store and process personal information disclosed to them for business-related or other legitimate purposes. However, there are unfortunately too many data controllers that fail to assess, defend against, or respond to the threats to data security, which can result in information exposure for their data subjects.
If you have had your personal information exposed, it is important to know what you can do to tackle the security risks posed, and it is also vital that you are well informed regarding your legal rights. At Your Lawyers, we can offer advice to all victims of data breaches to help minimise the blow of data breaches, as well as helping them to seek justice via compensation claims.
Victims affected by a cyberattack
We are always told of the risks to digital security, but many do not experience the true, harmful effects of data exposure until we are affected by a cyberattack. Unfortunately, cybercrime has reportedly been on the rise since the coronavirus outbreak began, with malicious hackers seizing the opportunities brought about by the strain on businesses and other organisations.
While the actions of cybercriminals may be hard cut off at the root, all organisations in possession of personal information have a legal duty to defend against unauthorised access to their systems. In this capacity, data controllers play a key role in the fight against cybercrime, and those that fail to meet this duty can be responsible for a breach of data protection law.
In our eyes, Virgin Media is one among many companies to have unfairly exposed victims’ information to possible theft by cybercriminals. An avoidable error by the company led to the personal information of as many as 900,000 people, many of whom were Virgin Media customers, being exposed, as was reported in March 2020. In response, we launched a group action claim enabling those affected by the incident to claim the compensation they deserve. If you were among the victims, you can sign up today to start your claim here now.
Working on a No Win, No Fee in the Virgin Media group action
Working on a No Win, No Fee basis for victims of the Virgin Media data breach is hugely important, both for those who need to claim, and for our clients to have real confidence in us.
We represent thousands of victims in the group action, and we do not want anyone to miss out. Read on for a little insight into our No Win, No Fee legal representation for Virgin Media data breach victims.
To get started with a claim today, simply complete a claim form here now.
Data protection laws breached in the Virgin Media case
The Virgin Media data leak that was revealed in early 2020 stemmed from what we consider to be clear breaches of important data protection laws, and justice must be achieved.
This is why we are able to represent victims of the data breach for a compensation claim on a No Win, No Fee basis. Because we are confident that we can succeed with the legal action that we have launched, we are able to work for our clients on the basis that we can waive our legal fees if the claim doesn’t succeed, subject to the terms and conditions in place (which we have to point out!)
Getting started is easy. All you need to do is start your claim for compensation here now if you have been affected, and you can join our group action without delay.
Reflecting on Cybersecurity month 2021
It is important to reflect on Cybersecurity month 2021, as we do each year, and look at how leaks like the Virgin Media incident could – and should – have been avoided in the first place.
This incident was an entirely avoidable breach, and it has had a huge impact on the thousands of people that we are representing for data breach compensation claims on a No Win, No Fee basis.
If you have yet to start your case and join the action, you can do so here now.
Unsecured database compensation claims
Many companies hold customer and employee information in huge databases, many of which can be accessed online or in the cloud as a way of making them easier to use from any location. But with ease of access comes the necessity of appropriate cybersecurity defences to prevent unauthorised users from breaching the database. Unfortunately, some organisations do not take these precautions seriously. Where information is stolen from an unsecured database, compensation claims could be launched by those affected.
In the Virgin Media data breach, the failure to secure a database resulted in the exposure of approximately 900,000 victims’ personal information, making it accessible to unauthorised users. We believe the company is responsible for negligence in terms of data protection law, which is why we are giving all those affected by the incident the opportunity to make a compensation claim in our group action.
If you were affected by the Virgin Media data breach, you can use our online form today to confirm your eligibility and start your claim.
