July 2022 Data Breach Roundup
The UK saw some scorching hot days up and down the country in the month of July, with temperatures hitting an all-time high of 40.3 degrees Celsius in the East. But the country was also hit with some hot and heavy data breaches, particularly concerning the education sector, before the summer holidays began for the year.
Here you can find our roundup of the data breach incidents the UK faced in the UK’s hottest month on record, July 2022.
Are you looking for guidance on obtaining compensation for a recent data breach you’ve experienced? Please contact the team of dedicated and skilled data breach lawyers at Hayes Connor today.
The biggest data breaches uncovered in July 2022
Personal data of City College Norwich applicants released in email blunder
In an email communication exchange between a student’s parent and the City College Norwich’s customer service team, an email slip-up lead to hundreds of applicants’ personal details being breached.
The email contained a spreadsheet full of sensitive information, which included full names, telephone numbers, home addresses, email addresses and other personal details.
The college has revealed they are investigating the matter further to certify it does not happen again.
To read more about this story, click here.
Sensitive details accessed during a major cyber attack on Gloucester council
A councillor from Gloucester council let loose that individuals living in Gloucester have had their sensitive details accessed by cyber criminals in a major data breach that occurred back in December 2021.
Details that were accessed by the hackers include signatures, home addresses, national insurance numbers, bank account details and driving licences.
Hannah Norman, the council’s Deputy Leader, stated that the cyber attack was still under an active investigation meaning no further details could be revealed to the public. Norman did, however, advise that the council has followed protocol by notifying the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) within 24 hours of being aware of the breach.
To read more about this story, click here.
Children at risk of grooming gangs after sensitive information is leaked to the dark web
A criminal organisation has hacked into multiple schools across the UK and one sixth-form college, stealing personal information concerning students studying there. Hackers then proceeded to demand ransom from the schools but were met with refusal.
After no ransom demands were met, they have since leaked this data onto the dark web, putting thousands of children at risk.
The information released in these ransom incidents includes children’s passport photographs, disciplinary files and child protection reports in regard to students at risk.
The leaked information creates concerns about the affected children being the targets of grooming gangs, anything from drug trafficking to extremist groups recruitment.
To read more about this story, click here.
Letters addressed incorrectly sent to thousands of homes across Liverpool
Liverpool residents owed the £150 council tax energy rebate, were sent letters wrongly addressed in a recent data breach incident.
The breach affected around 10,000 letters, with the names addressed not coinciding with the home addresses.
The council have confirmed they are investigating the matter and have since sent out new letters addressed correctly and advising to destroy the original letters.
Deputy Leader Cllr Andrew Makinson has criticised the council’s error, stating, "Residents will have had their time wasted, and worse, this latest cock-up will further delay struggling families from getting their £150 rebate. Not only will the council now have to pay for new letters to be sent out, but they also risk a large fine for breaching GDPR data protection rules."
"As ever, it will be Liverpool Council tax payers who are left to pay the price."
To read more about this story, click here.
The latest data breach news and announcements
NCSC warns organisations to prepare for cyber threats as the Russia-Ukraine conflict remains heightened
With the ongoing Russia-Ukraine conflict, the National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC) has released new guidance to benefit organisations in supporting staff resilience. The guide includes eight steps concerning cyber defences.
While the steps were created in reaction to the Russia-Ukraine situation, they can apply to other similar matters in the future to help protect the UK against cyber threats.
The NCSC Director for National Resilience and Strategy, Paul Maddinson stated, "From the start of the conflict in Ukraine, we have been asking organisations to strengthen their cyber defences to help keep the UK secure, and many have done so."
"But it’s now clear that we’re in this for the long haul and it’s vital that organisations support their staff through this demanding period of heightened cyber threat."
"We have produced new guidance to help organisations do this, and I would encourage them to follow our advice to help sustain their strengthened cyber posture."
To read more, click here.
Speak to our legal experts about a data breach
To suffer from a data breach can be an understandably concerning situation, especially with the potential for your information to end up in the wrong hands. Anyone who has their personal details leaked in a data breach could be drastically impacted, involving risk to their finances and other areas of their general life, such as mental welfare.
Agreeing to a business or organisation to record and store your sensitive information is a big commitment in this day and age, and for this reason, they have a duty under UK GDPR law to protect it from unauthorised others. Organisations failing to comply with the law could leave you vulnerable, but it is possible you could be eligible to claim data breach compensation.
The team of solicitors at Hayes Connor are experts in the data breach field and have assisted a range of clients in similar positions. When you instruct our solicitors, you can be confident of receiving advice tailored specifically to your circumstances.
Our team recognise the seriousness of a data breach and work proactively to carefully understand your situation and the impact it has had on your and your family’s lives. Doing this means we can provide realistic advice on your chance for success and the amount of compensation you may receive.
For further information on our data breach expertise and how we handle such claims, see here.
To start a data breach claim, you can use our online claim form.