Category: Data Breach Claims
SITA data breach affects hundreds of thousands of passengers worldwide
In late February, the SITA data breach was revealed as a powerful cyberattack, which comprised of a server holding information relating to hundreds of thousands of air passengers.
Labelled as “highly sophisticated” by the company, it is understood that the wide-reaching cyberattack has not affected “highly sensitive” data, but it nevertheless demonstrates that IT systems can be severely vulnerable as hackers continue to enhance and advance their methods.
In fact, it has long been apparent that travel companies are often vulnerable to cyberattacks. They hold a wealth of sensitive data about their customers, including passport details and payment card information. A such, airlines and hotel chains can be a prime target for hackers. British Airways, which is understood to be implicated in the SITA data breach, succumbed to two major data breaches in 2018, for which we are currently representing claimants in a group action.
British Airways group action deadline – do not miss your chance to claim!
The British Airways group action deadline has received a short extension to summer 2020, which may mark the final end as to when people can sign-up for a legal case and take part in the GLO.
The first BA data breach emerged almost three whole years ago in 2018, and The Group Action Lawyers has been taking on claims for almost as long. However, there are still thousands of customers who have still not made their claim yet.
If all 400,000 victims claim, they could be sharing a total compensation pay-out of up to an estimated £2.4 billion, according to current estimations based on case law and settled claims information. All you should need to claim is proof that BA notified you of your involvement in one of their two data breaches in 2018, so do not hesitate to register on the BA Group Action site here if you think you are eligible.
Join the Virgin Media data breach class action
The Virgin Media data breach class action has been in progress for almost a year now as we continue to take on clients affected by the data breach that came to light in March last year.
Up to 900,000 victims, all of whom had their personal data exposed by failings in the company’s data protection policies, could be eligible to claim compensation.
If you were notified by Virgin Media of your involvement in the breach, head to the Virgin Media group action site to start your claim now. The negligence of Virgin Media should not go unpunished. At The Group Action Lawyers, we know all too well how the collective force of a group action can be powerful in holding companies to account.
Claim for the Transform Hospital Group data breach
For clients of the Transform Hospital Group, 2020 ended with the distressing news that their private data had been exposed in a malicious ransomware attack.
As a plastic surgery chain, the group holds extremely sensitive information about their patients, including surgery photos known as “before and after” images. It is understood that such photos are the subject of the ransomware attack, with some 500 gigabytes of it being held.
The affected customers may now be living in constant fear of their sensitive information being published online, as well as their details being misused in order to commit fraud or identity theft. With such sensitive information at risk, customers are, unsurprisingly, very distressed by the prospect of targeted exposure and humiliation. At the Group Action Lawyers, we have already begun taking on claimants, and we foresee that a group action may be brought if more claims are made, allowing us to launch a collective fight for justice.
British Airways data breach settlement may be on the horizon
Given recent development in the action, we believe that a British Airways data breach settlement could be imminent. The latest development in the British Airways group action has seen the airline notify the court of their intentions to seek negotiations to resolve the cases, a move which could prompt an out-of-court settlement of as much as £2.4 million if all victims join the action.
The update comes as pressure is ramped up on BA, and marks a significant change of approach as the airline previously seemed to be set on defending the claims all the way.
We believe that a settlement could bring significant compensation to registered claimants, helping to draw the long legal case to a successful close. The victims have been waiting since 2018, so we welcome the approach of a compensation pay-out. However, time is running out – we urge all victims to join the action if they haven’t already, as the deadline is fast approaching.
People’s Energy data breach – compensation advice
The People’s Energy data breach is one the latest large-scale breach cases to reach the headlines, reportedly affecting all 270,000 customers who entrusted their personal details to the company.
Among the details exposed were full names, dates of birth, addresses, and phone numbers, as well as the customer-specific tariff and energy meter IDs for some. Furthermore, the breach has adversely impacted small business customers of the energy provider, whose financial details were also understood to have been accessed in the hack.
Although the computer systems involved in the breach were shut down as soon as the problem became apparent, the small window of opportunity may have been enough for the hackers to obtain details that could serve as powerful tools in data misuse. We have taken cases forward, and we may be able to help you too if you are based in England or Wales.
What next for regulators after the BA cyberattack fine?
The Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) announced that the BA cyberattack fine will be issued at just £20 million following their 2018 data breach.
This came as a shock to many after the ICO announced an intention to issue a fine in the sum of £183 million last year, with the final fine involving a reduction of 90%.
It is thought that the BA fine was reduced so significantly due to the impact of the coronavirus pandemic. The aviation industry in general has seen huge losses in flight and customer numbers as a result of lockdowns in various countries. The ICO appears to have taken this into consideration when issuing the fine, but many believe it is still an insignificant amount to the global airline and that it will not have the desired effect. The big question now is how this could shape regulations and fines in the future, as there is a cause for concern here.
Millions of customer records exposed in Prestige Software data breach
The Prestige Software data breach has led to the potential exposure of the details for millions of guest records in an online cloud database breach.
Prestige Software is reportedly one of the largest online services for hotels, operating a management system that automates bookings for companies that include Booking.com, Expedia, and Hotels.com. It transpires that guest records have been stored in an open online cloud database that can be easily accessible to the public.
If your data has been exposed as part of a data breach, you could be eligible to make a data breach compensation claim with us. We have years of experience in data breach law and currently represent claimants across over 50 multi-party and group action claims. Get in touch today to begin your claim here. Continue Reading…
Wisepay data breach affects over 300 school systems
The Wisepay data breach occurred between late evening on 2nd October and 10am on 5th October 2020.
It is understood that the school payments system was hacked over the weekend in question, meaning that parents’ sensitive information has been exposed. The Wisepay data breach is said to have affected around 300 school payment systems across the two-day period. The breach may have affected any parents who inputted their details into the payment page on their schools’ systems.
Wisepay took down their site as soon as the breach was discovered at 10am on the 5th October and have stated that only a small number of parents should have been affected as their system does not require daily payments.
Serious Sandicliffe car dealership cyberattack
In February 2020 a serious data breach occurred – the Sandicliffe car dealership cyberattack. If you have been affected by this breach, you could be eligible to make a compensation claim today.
It has not been confirmed exactly how many people are affected by the Sandicliffe car dealership cyberattack. However, the data breach is understood to have involved names, dates of birth, bank account numbers, sort codes, National Insurance numbers, passport scans, salary levels, and medical histories.
This data may not have been exposed for everyone affected, and it may be dependent on who they are and their role in the company, if they are an employee, as well as how much data was on record of each individual. However, in the wrong hands, this kind of information could end up being dangerous for those affected.
ICO announce BA fine of £20 million
Ba fine issued: The Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) announced that British Airways would receive a dramatically reduced fine of just £20 million.
The BA fine announcement came as a shock to many after the ICO’s proposed intention to fine was originally set at £183 million last year.
We are currently representing victims of the British Airways data breach for legal cases on a No Win, No Fee basis. If you have been affected by the breach, you could be eligible to join the group action claim now. Whilst the ICO has announced the hugely reduced BA fine, it is still vital that fight for the rights of the victims of the breach to get the justice that they deserve for the loss of control of their personal information.
The Flagship Group data breach
The Flagship Group data breach occurred on Sunday 1st November, resulting in Flagship Group’s systems and online services having to be taken offline.
The Group has since taken down more of their systems to prevent the further spread of the cyberattack as well.
The extent of the breach remains unknown but the personal details for both customers and staff may have been exposed in the Flagship group data breach. In their housing branch, Flagship Homes, they are understood to currently employ over 1,200 staff and own and manage 31,000 homes in England. Based on these figures, it could be that a significant number of people have been affected by the incident.