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UCC Coffee UK & Ireland employee data breach caused by cyber-attack

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Leading supplier of coffee machines and coffee products, UCC Coffee UK & Ireland, has experienced a data breach following a cyber-attack, putting employees’ personal data at risk.

In a letter to affected employees dated 22 February 2022, UCC Coffee UK&I admitted that an unauthorised third party, believed to be a criminal organisation, managed to access some of the company’s systems. The letter revealed that the firm believes there is a high probability that some data relating to its employees may have been accessed.

The types of data believed to have been accessed include employees’:

  • Names
  • Home addresses
  • Telephone numbers
  • National insurance numbers
  • Salary details
  • Health information
  • Immigration data
  • Airport pass applications (for some affected employees)

If you are an employee of UCC Coffee UK & Ireland, it is understandable to be worried and angry that your data may be at risk. The team at Hayes Connor are already supporting clients who have been affected by this breach, so we can give fast, clear advice on your rights, including the right to claim compensation.

To find out how our data breach experts can help you, please get in touch today.

What action is UCC Coffee taking over its employee data breach?

UCC Coffee says that it has been carrying out a forensic investigation to understand what happened and the potential impact of the breach.

The company has also called in third party IT consultants for assistance securing its network and protecting against further cyber-attacks, claiming to be confident the issue that allowed unauthorised access has been resolved.

UCC Coffee stated that it had informed the Information Commissioner’s Office, the National Cyber Security Centre and the police.

What risks does the UCC Coffee UK&I data breach pose for the company’s employees?

Any employee data obtained by the cyber-attackers is now at risk of being made public. This data could be used by the attackers or third parties for purposes including identity theft or financial fraud.

The data could also be used to access other accounts belonging to the affected employees and might be used in ‘phishing’ attacks, where cybercriminals contact the employees using the data they already have about them to try to extract further information such as their financial details.

If you have been informed that your data is at risk or are concerned that this may be the case, it is important to take swift action to protect yourself against these risks.

What to do if you are concerned about the UCC Coffee data breach

If your data is at risk due to the UCC Coffee employee data breach, the company should already have contacted you to let you know as they are required to do so under UK data protection law. That said, if you have not been contacted but have strong reason to believe your details have been exposed, it is a good idea to contact the company to confirm if you may be affected.

If you believe your data has been exposed, it is important to be wary of any unexpected communications, such as emails or text messages, particularly if they appear to have come from someone representing UCC Coffee. These could be ‘phishing attacks’ and, if you are not careful, you could find yourself giving away even more of your personal data to criminals.

There are several ways you can reduce the risk of cybercriminals using your personal data against you. For more on this, please read our helpful guide on what to do if your data has been stolen in a data breach.

If your data has been exposed in the UCC Coffee employee data breach, you may be in a position to claim compensation. This is something with which the team at Hayes Connor will be happy to help.

How Hayes Connor can help you claim compensation for the UCC Coffee employee data breach

Any organisation that stores your personal data, including your employer, has a legal duty to keep that data secure. If an organisation fails to keep your data safe, then you may be entitled to claim compensation.

Hayes Connor has one of the largest teams of dedicated data breach specialists in the country. We have a wealth of combined expertise in handling data breach claims and are perfectly placed to guide you through all the steps you need to take to bring forward a claim.

We understand how stressful and worrying it can be to lose your personal data. For that reason, we also make sure to provide you with close personal support throughout the claims process, as well as making sure that everything is kept as straightforward as possible.

You can find out more about our expertise and how we handle data breach claims here.

To start a claim, you can use our online claim form.

To speak to a member of our team about the UCC Coffee employee data breach, please do not hesitate to give us a call on 0330 041 5132.