Pursuing data leaks from outsourcing and human errors

Pursuing compensation for data leaks from outsourcing and human error issues can be achieved on a No Win, No Fee basis where we believe you are eligible to recover compensation.

Whilst not from outsourcing, the Virgin Media data leak that we are representing thousands of people for did involve what we believe to be some form of human error issue. We are several years on from the start of our legal action when news of the breach hit the headlines, but you can find out if you are still in time to claim by completing a few forms on the website here now.

Data leaks from outsourcing and human error

Data leaks from outsourcing and human error events can be incredibly common, and these are two of the important considerations that any organisation needs to factor in when it comes to data protection plans and practices. Employees can often be seen as the weakest link when it comes to the defences of an organisation because they are the ones who could make the mistakes that could then cause data breaches to take place. It can only take one small error or oversight and information could be accessed by unauthorised third parties, or it could be exposed or leaked to many people.

There is no excuse when it comes to data leaks from outsourcing and human errors, and the responsibility is still on the data processor as the organisation in question. It is not just a case of the organisation passing this off as not their fault, as any company that they outsource to, or any person that they employ, is under their management.

The organisation at the centre of an incident can be found vicariously liable for the errors or oversights where there are data leaks from outsourcing or employee incidents. This means that the organisation ultimately takes  responsibility and would have to deal with any investigations and claims for compensation.

The Virgin Media data leak event

The Virgin Media data leak event that was discovered in early 2020 did not arise from outsourcing but did arise from a human error incident of sorts. How it happened was that a database was left exposed online for a period of 10 months, and the underlying cause was that it was due to an incorrect configuration error. We assume, at some point, an employee incorrectly configured the database which is why it was left online for this significant period of time.

Unfortunately, during the breach period, the information was accessed on at least one occasion by an unknown third party. Further, the data leak was only discovered by a third-party security researcher who then alerted Virgin Media to the issue.

Find out if you are still in time to claim now

We continue to represent thousands of people engaged in our Virgin Media Data Breach Compensation Action where we are representing our clients on a No Win, No Fee basis. We have been pursuing cases since news of the breach first hit the headlines, so we are a considerable period of time on from the start of our legal action.

If you were one of the 900,000 people affected, but you have yet to sign up to pursue a case, we may still be able to help you. You can find out if you are still eligible to claim by completing a few forms on our website here now.

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