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.
Malicious cyberattacks and data leaks
In the digital age, cybercriminals are constantly trying to take advantage of the huge online and cloud data stores used by many companies. Personal information is now a commodity for both legitimate businesses and malicious cybercriminals, with the latter often seeking to misuse data for financial gain. Data controllers must, therefore, defend against malicious cyberattacks on a regular basis, but many do not appear to be taking this threat seriously enough.
With the current climate of cybercrime as it is, it is unacceptable for companies to be negligent of their duties to protect personal data. In fact, in cases where data controllers fail to meet the mark, they may be liable for a breach of data protection law.
As specialist data protection lawyers, we firmly believe that we cannot afford to let companies off lightly in the wake of data breaches, or the problem of non-compliance may only exacerbate. We are, therefore, aiming to hold Virgin Media to account for its failure to protect personal data, as we believe that those affected are entitled to fair compensation for the harm caused even with the event not being a cyberattack but risking one taking place.
The impact of consumer data breaches
The digitisation of the business world has led to millions of consumers’ personal information being held in servers and databases. Whether you’re doing some online shopping, or signing up for a social media account, you will often find yourself disclosing a great deal of personal information to third-party companies. There should not be an inherent risk to giving businesses your information but, unfortunately, the negligence of some businesses can lead to victims suffering the impact of consumer data breaches.
In one infamous incident, approximately 900,000 UK consumers were affected by the Virgin Media data breach, which is understood to have been caused by the failure to secure a database containing personal data. The error significantly breached the privacy of those affected, as well as exposing them to potential security risks and facing threats from fraudsters and scammers.
All consumers have the right to know that their information is protected by the businesses to whom they disclose it, so businesses should be held accountable when they fail to do so. Anyone affected by the Virgin Media data breach could be eligible to make a claim in our group action to seek justice for any harm caused.
Data breach claims solicitors for the Virgin Media leak
At Your Lawyers, we have developed a strong reputation as specialist data breach claims solicitors, having represented clients for privacy matters since 2014. Our experience ranges across a variety of different cases, from employees negligently disclosing information to companies being hit by huge leaks, and this has provided us with extensive experience across this area of law.
However, as data breach claims grow in number, and as more and more firms decide to branch out into this area of law, there is a risk that data breach victims are not receiving the expert advice and representation that they deserve. Law firms should not just be representing you as a way of capitalising on a trend, but because they strongly believe in the importance of upholding data protection law and recovering the compensation you deserve. At Your Lawyers, we make this promise to each and every one of our clients.
As specialists in data breach claims and in group actions, where we fight for the rights of thousands of data breach victims in one collective claim, we are helping victims of the Virgin Media data breach. If you were affected by the incident, you could be eligible to recover compensation in our group action, and you can sign up online today to start your case.
