The discovery of the Virgin Media data security breach

The recent discovery of the Virgin Media data security breach is a concern in itself and is a factor we’re taking into consideration as part of our growing compensation action.

How the breach was discovered, who uncovered it, and the length of time the data had been left exposed makes for alarming reading. We’re confident that we can succeed with our action for compensation, in any event, but these additional factors can mean that any defence Virgin Media tries to put forward may be weakened.

Anyone affected by the data breach can be eligible to start a claim for compensation with us on a No Win, No Fee basis immediately.

How was the Virgin Media data security breach discovered?

The Virgin Media data security breach was actually discovered by a third-party security researcher from TurgenSec. It was discovered at the end of February and the alarm was raised to Virgin Media that the details for some 900,000 people had been left exposed.

Although Virgin Media appeared to try and play down the severity of the data that had been found exposed, it was clear that it was more than enough for people to be concerned. We now know that some 1,000 people had contract information exposed that could link them to explicit websites,  which puts them at an immediate risk of scams.

Some victims of the data breach have been left unsure as to what data of theirs specifically is affected. We intend to make sure people receive confirmation as part of our compensation action, and victims can ask for details about what data of theirs was exposed as well.

Why is this relevant to the compensation action?

It’s incredibly concerning that it took a third-party security researcher to raise the alarm about the Virgin Media data security breach. They were unconnected with the company, who had no idea that the information for 900,000 people was left exposed and unsecure.

As they weren’t aware, it transpired that the information had been left exposed for a 10-month period between April 2019 and February 2020. During this breach period, at least one unknown third-party appears to have accessed the information.

This is relevant for a few reasons. Firstly, the data was left exposed for so long that it was accessed by an unknown third-party. We don’t know what this person intends to do, or may have already done, with the data they uncovered. It may have already been used for malicious purposes, or it may that they have sold it on and / or it may be used for malicious purposes at some point. Ultimately, we just don’t know.

Another cause for concern is that Virgin Media was unable to identify the wealth of data they had left exposed until a security researcher told them about it. This suggests that their own security systems are not good enough, which is on top of the issue that the breach could have been avoided in the first place.

Start your compensation claim today

You can start your claim for compensation today by going to the main part of the website here and completing the simple forms.

As long as you have received confirmation that you’re a victim of the Virgin Media data security breach, you should be eligible to join our compensation action.

It’s No Win, No Fee, and you’ll be instructing a leading consumer action and data breach compensation firm with a wealth of experience.

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.