Category: Ransomware
Not long into the new academic year, the Northumbria University cyberattack shook the campus IT systems in early September 2020, forcing those at the top to close the campus and postpone scheduled exams.
It remains unclear whether any long-lasting damage was caused by the attack. In our experience as data breach lawyers, we have seen large-scale attacks such as this endanger or expose significant quantities of personal information.
Northumbria is not the first university to have experienced such an attack, a fact that highlights the particular vulnerability of higher education institutions to such malicious cybercrime. In university cyberattacks, employees and students can be adversely affected by the exposure of their personal data, for which they are often able to make a compensation claim. If it emerges that Northumbria University failed to protect personal data, we may be able to help anyone affected.
At the end of December 2020, it was revealed that the Transform Hospital Group had been targeted by a devastating cyberattack.
The attack, which took the form of a ransomware hack, resulted in the theft of customer data from the plastic surgery chain, and the hackers behind the attack have since been threatening to publish the information online.
The hackers are understood to have made it known that they have 900 gigabytes of ‘before and after’ pictures in their possession, which they are threatening to publish if a ransom is not paid. Understandably, many of the victims are extremely concerned that their private data can now be exposed in this way. The Data Breach Lawyers have already taken on affected clients, and we encourage further victims to come forward for advice on their potential claim.
Read More “Customer details exposed in Transform Hospital Group data breach”
Banking app scams are one of the latest ways in which hackers are targeting victims. People have lost thousands of pounds to these kinds of scams, but there can be a way to make a claim for damages and loss.
One of the common ways scammers are exploiting people is using a technique called ‘spoofing’. This can make the caller appear as the same number as a bank or a legitimate organisation, tricking the victim into believing that the call is legitimate.
In many cases, scammers get hold of the victims’ details from data breaches. They can then contact them and use real information to convince the victim that they are genuine. Victims can then be subjected to fraudulent transactions or being duped into handing over money or more information to be abused.
Websites, systems and services have been offline for over a week after the Flagship Group cyberattack hit the housing company.
An official statement from Flagship Group’s website informs us that, on the 1st November 2020, a major cyberattack occurred that has resulted in most of their systems being taken offline. In quick response to the attack, Flagship Homes took many of their systems and services down to prevent the spread of the event.
It is currently unknown exactly how many people have been affected by the Flagship Group cyberattack. However, it has been confirmed that some personal data has been compromised in the breach. Flagship Group has warned customers to be wary of potential cold calls and phishing emails that could result in fraudulent activity.
Read More “Flagship Group cyberattack caused by serious ransomware”
If you are one of the many victims of the Blackbaud cyberattack, we may be able to represent you for a legal case for data breach compensation.
We are representing clients for cases on a No Win, No Fee basis, so if you have yet to sign up for a case, please speak to the team for help and advice now.
If you have been informed that your personal data has been affected by the breach, you could be eligible to claim with us. It is likely that the breach notification will come from the organisation you had provided your information to, but it was the Blackbaud company itself at the centre of the hack.
You may be eligible to claim thousands of pounds in compensation – read on for more guidance.
The widespread and recently publicised Blackbaud data breach has resulted in a wealth of personal information being hacked, affecting over 100 organisations in the UK.
Many of those affected are universities, and there are also charities that have been impacted by the breach as well. Victims are being notified of the breach, and if you have been contacted, we may be able to help you. For eligible cases, we may be able to offer No Win, No Fee legal representation.
Here’s some advice about what has happened, what data has been affected, and how we may be able to help you today.
When we look at important topics such as NHS cybersecurity, we usually approach it from the perspective of the victims, given that we’re data breach compensation lawyers.
GDPR ensures that there’s an important duty on all organisations – including the NHS – to take steps to protect the data that they store and process. Their duties are clear, and the punishments that can be issued by the ICO (Information Commissioner’s Office) are also clear, and they can be substantial.
But what about the victims? What can they do when it’s their data that has been exposed or misused? What are their rights?
Read More “NHS cybersecurity and the rights for data breach victims”
The leak of hundreds of millions of email addresses and passwords – known as Collection #1 – is a stark and alarming wake-up call.
The 87gb file that was published contained data that’s said to have been gleaned from a number of different hacks and attacks over several years. It serves as a monumental wake-up call for those who are guilty of reusing the same login credentials across different platforms, and for those who haven’t changed their passwords for years and / or use rubbish passwords.
Criminals have the technology to use data from these hacks to systematically target accounts with very little effort. People are in imminent danger.
Recent security research has revealed that financial data breach uncertainties remain a concern, with worrying figures in 2017 over breaches and protection.
It’s thought that as many as 70% of financial organisations may have suffered a data breach, with many simply unable to confirm for definite whether they have or haven’t, and whether the breach was related to an unauthorised third-party access event.
The growth of open banking is said to be a huge factor as financial organisations no longer have a closed door on their systems and servers with customers being able to access and manage their finances online.
Read More “Financial data breach uncertainties remain a concern”
Data breaches are soaring, and only better cybersecurity and improved data protection training and protocols is going to stop the crisis worsening.
Almost every day we are seeing yet another breach somewhere around the world. With cyber-criminals getting smarter, and with many investing their ill-gotten gains back into their “business” to create more powerful tools, something needs to be done.
The new GDPR rules coming into force next month may be the catalyst needed for organisations to take cybersecurity more seriously.
Read More “New GDPR rules could see reported data breaches soaring”
A children’s paediatric health centre has been hacked with a wealth of personal data exposed.
Unusually, the hackers created multiple unknown user IDs to access information and no ransom was actually demanded. That being said, healthcare data can be very valuable in itself, so locking an organisation out their own systems to then mine the data is still a crime that may pay dividends to attackers.
Read More “Dhrama ransomware attack on Texas child healthcare provider compromises thousands of patient data.”