June 2022 Data Breach Roundup
The longest day of the year has since passed us, but it hasn’t stopped these beautiful long summer days or, more importantly, strings of data breaches from happening, with four incidents affecting the UK in this month alone.
Here you can find our short roundup of the most significant data breaches exposed in June 2022, as well as our recent work in supporting victims of data breaches.
If you have recently suffered from a data breach and are looking to claim compensation as a result, please don’t hesitate to directly contact our data breach experts at Hayes Connor.
Our recent work supporting victims of data breaches
Deutsche Windtechnik Suffers Cyber Attack Leaving UK Employee Data at Risk
Deutsche Windtechnik, a windfarm operator, is the latest German energy provider to be targeted after a string of cyber attacks have impacted energy providers across Germany. The cyber attack leaves a significant number of UK employees affected.
Employees’ personal data that has been impacted in the breaches include names, addresses, personal phone numbers, email addresses, next of kin details, drivers’ licences, passports and national insurance numbers.
To contain the breach and prevent matters from escalating further, Deutsche Windtechnik shut down its entire IT systems and cut off all remote monitoring connections to their turbines. An investigation into the matter has since been undertaken, determining that the cyber attack was directed and carried out by professional cyber criminals.
To read more about this story, click here.
The biggest data breaches uncovered in April 2022
Ready meal business experiences cyber attack leaving systems impacted
Apetitio, which owns a ready meal business, Wiltshire Farm Food, had its computer systems affected after suffering from a cyber attack.
The cyber attack has thankfully not impacted any credit card details but means the business is unable to contact their customers, and some deliveries could be missed.
In a statement released, they expressed, “We are very sorry to say that Wiltshire Farm Foods is currently experiencing severe difficulties with our computer systems.
"These problems have been caused by what is known as a 'cyber attack'.”
To read more about this story, click here.
DVLA violates data protection laws after passing personal details to private parking firms
UK’s data watchdog has concluded that the Driving Licensing Agency (DVLA) has breached data protection laws when passing on driver’s details to private parking firms.
An investigation into the matter was undertaken by the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO), where it was concluded that it “was not using the correct lawful basis to disclose vehicle keeper information”
Despite the disclosure of driver’s information being done unlawfully, the DVLA was not fined by the ICO. However, they are expected to receive a large volume of compensation claims from motorists.
To read more about this story, click here.
UK deliveries impacted after cyber incident suffered by Yodel
Popular UK delivery company, Yodel, reported that they had been subject to a cyber incident that has resulted in disruption to their parcel delivery service.
An update on the situation was posted to Yodel’s website, expressing, “We are working to restore our operations as quickly as possible but for now, order tracking remains unavailable and parcels may arrive later than expected.”
No customer payment details have been impacted during the cyber attack as Yodel does not hold those details. However, there are concerns that other sensitive information has been affected, including customer’s names, addresses, email addresses and telephone numbers which are held by the company.
The nature of the cyber incident has not been publicly confirmed, but they have reported contacting a number of organisations, including the National Crime Agency (NCA), data protection watchdog, the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) and the National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC).
To read more about this story, click here.
The latest data breach news and announcements
Upcoming data reform bill produces a positive response from UK information commissioner
The UK Information Commissioner, John Edwards, made a statement in response to the government’s plan to reduce the data sharing burden on businesses: “I share and support the ambition of these reforms.
“I am pleased to see the government has taken our concerns about independence on board. Data protection law needs to give people confidence to share their information to use the products and services that power our economy and society. The proposed changes will ensure my office can continue to operate as a trusted, fair and impartial regulator, and enable us to be more flexible and target our action in response to the greatest harms.
“We look forward to continuing to work constructively with the government as the proposals are progressed and will continue to monitor how these reforms are expressed in the Bill.”
Speak to our legal experts about a data breach
If you are involved in a data breach where your sensitive information has or could possibly have been exposed, it can feel daunting and leave you concerned about what could happen next. Data breaches have the potential to seriously impact an individual’s life, especially when their personal data has fallen into the arms of a cyber criminal.
When you consent to a business or organisation recording and storing your personal details, you expect security and reassurance. Any business or organisation that stores your details are legally obligated to follow the UK GDPR regulations. If they fail to do this, you could be eligible to receive compensation for your suffering.
At Hayes Connor, we have a team of data breach specialists on hand to assist with all types of data breach compensation claims, providing tailored advice and practical guidance to walk you through the entire process.
During your initial consultation, we will take the time to understand your personal situation and the impact it has had on you and your family’s life, allowing us to provide advice on the likelihood of your case’s success and the value of compensation you could potentially 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.