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.

Affected by a cyberattack – what are the consequences?

When victims are affected by a cyberattack, the exposure of their personal information can have all sorts of consequences. In particular, cybercriminals are often targeting financial data such as bank account or card details, or at least a means of obtaining access to finances, which means cyberattacks can result in theft and fraud.

The perhaps lesser-known impact is that of distress. Data breaches can not only cause financial loss, but also emotional difficulties, as the stresses and anxieties caused by knowing information has been exposed can significantly harm a victim’s mental well-being.

What can victims do?

If you have been affected by a cyberattack, it may seem that there is little chance of achieving justice, given that prosecuting faceless cybercriminals is often impossible for the police. However, in cases where a data controller has failed to do enough to prevent you from being affected by a cyberattack, they could be liable for the data breach.

Victims can, therefore, hold data controllers to account via data breach compensation claims. The legal process itself recognises the different effects of data breaches, allowing victims to claim for financial losses and for distress.

Claim in the Virgin Media group action

Your Lawyers has been representing clients in data breach claims and group actions for many years, and our specialist expertise has given us the ability to make a case against Virgin Media for its breach of data protection law. With so many victims affected, it is essential that the company is held to account, which is why we are offering No Win, No Fee representation to eligible claimants.

If you were notified of your involvement in the Virgin Media data breach, you can make a claim today in the knowledge that you won’t have to pay any of our legal fees if your claim is unsuccessful, subject to the terms and conditions agreed. Although this was not a cyberattack case, information was left exposed and was accessed by an unknown third party, and cybercriminals do use such techniques to cause harm to people.

Simply sign up via our online form to join the fight for justice.

The content of this post/page was considered accurate at the time of the original posting and/or at the time of any posted revision. The content of this page may, therefore, be out of date. The information contained within this page does not constitute legal advice. Any reliance you place on the information contained within this page is done so at your own risk.