West Midlands Police data breaches

It has been three years since a number of West Midlands Police data breaches of 2016 were first reported, but we believe that they still provide a key example of the damage that can be done when officers fail in their data protection duties. In 2017, it was reported that police officers in the West Midlands branch were reportedly responsible for a total of 24 data breaches in the previous year.

The figure is significant when it is considered how easily such breaches could have been avoided. The majority were caused by human error, which can generally be avoided with more caution and rigorous data protection practices.

As a data controller, the police force holds perhaps one of the most sensitive stores of information in the UK. From criminal records to victims’ details, it is vital that this information is kept secure, or there can be profound harmful consequences. If you have been adversely impacted by a police data breach, you may be eligible to claim compensation on a No Win, No Fee basis.

The West Midlands Police data breaches – what happened?

Although there were few specifics given about the West Midlands Police data breaches, the incidents were categorised in relation to a number of different causes. These included examples of correspondence being sent to the incorrect email addresses or postal addresses, including in cases in which subject access requests, which provide details of the information held about the police’s data subjects, were being responded to.

There were additional cases in which emails were insecure. This could be due to a lack of password protection for sensitive attachments, or it could even involve the use of personal email accounts rather than work accounts.

Other incidents involved the loss of technology, including USB sticks, which may well have held sensitive information.

Data protection in the UK police force

Unfortunately, the West Midlands Police data breaches are not isolated incidents. Security researchers have shed light on huge numbers of police data breaches in recent years, using Freedom of Information requests to discover the scale of data security incidents. In 2016, a report by Big Brother Watch reportedly found that at least 2,315 data breaches had been caused by police staff since mid-2016.

More recently, it was found by VPNoverview that 22 of the UK’s 45 police forces had reportedly been responsible for over 2300 data breaches in 2020. It is not known whether external cyberattacks or human error figured most prominently in the data, but the numbers nevertheless demonstrate what appears to be severe failings across the force.

Data breach claims for victims of police data breaches

The West Midlands Police data breaches may have caused stress and anxiety for those affected, as many data security incidents do. The victims are the unseen side of the police data breach figures, but we are here to listen to those who have been affected and help them to achieve justice for any harm caused.

If your data security has been compromised by a third party, you may have a right to claim compensation. Our years of experience in data breach claims have equipped us with the expertise needed to bring your claim to fruition, so contact us for free, no-obligation advice if you think you may have a claim to make. We may be able to represent you in a legal case on a No Win, No Fee basis.