Virgin Media incident showed we must all prepare for a data breach

Unfortunately, data breaches have become all too familiar in the news headlines. It seems like it is now an everyday risk for anyone who entrusts their private data to a third party. It is important that everyone – organisations and people – understand how to prepare for a data breach, and what they can do if the worst does occur.

Where companies fail to prepare, whether it’s due to poor cybersecurity or inadequate employee procedures, the victims may be forced step up and protect themselves as much as they can. In the Virgin Media data breach, the company failed to protect the information of mostly customers, and many victims have since had to manage the additional risks themselves.

You can also take a data breach incident into your own hands by making a compensation claim. Joining our Virgin Media group action can allow all affected victims to participate in the collective fight to achieve justice for the suffering and losses they have endured.

How can I prepare for a data breach?

It is a fact of life that we must share our personal data with third parties, so it is impossible to eliminate all the risks of a data breach.

However, we can be conscious of how much information that we are sharing, and question how companies are using it. It is important to remember that all data sharing and data handling must have a legal purpose, so everyone has a right to question if a company is storing an unnecessary amount of their information, or if they are sharing it inappropriately.

Never be afraid to voice your concerns and exert your right to withhold certain information.

In the end, much of the preparation comes down to knowing what to do when a data breach does occur, as there is unfortunately little that you can do in advance.

Dealing with the aftermath of a data breach

When confronted with the shock of a data breach it can, unsurprisingly, be difficult to keep a clear head and take the necessary steps. We can offer some advice on how to prepare for a data breach and its aftermath in an effort to help as much as we can.

When you hear about a data breach involving an organisation that you know stores your information, you should:

1. Find out if you have been affected, and what kinds of data have been exposed;
2. Check any reliable news sources to see if there are further details;
3. Cancel any affected credit or debit cards and change any affected security passwords. If you have used the same password across multiple accounts, it is worth changing those too if possible, although you should avoid reusing credentials anyway;
4. Remain wary of any fraudulent messages you may receive. Never hand over your details to one of these senders, and make sure to report and block them;
5. Contact a data breach law firm for legal advice.

Every data breach can be different: there may be additional steps to take depending on the data affected, so follow the recommendations of the breached company as well.

Make a Virgin Media compensation claim

Although the data breach was discovered almost a year ago, Virgin Media customers may still have to manage risks on an ongoing basis. Virgin Media failed to prepare for a data breach of this nature, and the victims are now facing the consequences.

If you have been notified that you were an affected victim, you can take control again by launching a compensation claim in our Virgin Media group action. We are all too aware of the harmful effects of this data breach, which is why we are determined to help all eligible clients to win the compensation they deserve.

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.