The Virgin Media data breach- risks of data exposure

The Virgin Media data breach caused a great deal of fear among the affected victims, with many worrying about the risks of data exposure.

It is common for victims to feel vulnerable or helpless following a data breach, as they have been forced into a risky situation which they can exert very little control over. The breach resulted from the failures of Virgin Media employees, who left a marketing database unsecured for 10 months, rendering the personal data of 900,000 people vulnerable to unauthorised access. The details included phone numbers, email addresses and home addresses.

The consequences of having your data exposed can come in different forms, ranging from actual theft to emotional distress. While there is little action you can take to mitigate these risks, we believe it is important to make all affected Virgin Media data breach victims aware of the dangers they may be faced with.

The risks provoked by the Virgin Media data breach

The nature of the exposed data can tell us a lot about the potential risks which may arise. First of all, contact details were subjected to unauthorised access, meaning criminals could then make direct contact with a victim via email or over the phone.

For example, one of the most common types of scams is phishing, in which fraudsters send out emails pretending to be a reliable source or company as a means of convincing you to provide further personal data. These emails often contain malicious links which could harvest more data from your devices, or they could corrupt it with a virus.

In addition, besides the more dangerous risks of data exposure, the vulnerable Virgin Media database reportedly connected a small minority of customers to the use of pornographic and explicit websites. As such, for some customers, the breach may have uncovered private matters which cybercriminals could maliciously use to their advantage.

Any third party who has accessed information could also simply decide to sell it on the dark web, for another person to misuse.

Claiming for the risks of data exposure

The risks of data exposure highlighted above are all factors that can be taken into account when making a compensation claim. However, it is important to remember that you do not have to have experienced proven material damage, such as theft or fraud, to make a compensation claim in some circumstances.

The GDPR could allow affected claimants to make a claim for ‘non-material’ damage, which can encompass any distress you have felt as a result of the data breach. You may simply be able to claim for your involvement in the data breach alone.

Joining the Virgin Media group action

If you wish to be compensated for the potential risks of data exposure that you have encountered following the Virgin Media data breach, we urge you to join our group action as soon as possible.

The rising number of clients continues to strengthen our cause, and we are confident enough to offer No Win, No Fee representation to eligible clients.

With our years of experience in data breach claims and ground-breaking group actions, you can rely on us to fight for your legal entitlement to compensation.

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.