Yorkshire residents '˜under cyber attack', says data breach lawyer

People may be entitled to compensation if their rights have been breached.

Malicious cyber attacks and simple errors have been responsible for personal data breaches over the past year, according to a data breach claims specialists.

The protection of personal data has never been more in focus as a growing number of high-profile data breaches hit the headlines. As more day-to-day activities and information is carried out online, from food shopping to holiday bookings, medical records to concert ticket purchases, individuals’ confidential information has arguably never been more vulnerable.

During 2018 alone, a number of private and public organisations have fallen foul of adequately protecting the private information held - from British Airways to Dixons Carphone, Ticketmaster to Morrisons, Bupa and the NHS to Equifax.

A data breach occurs when private information is inadvertently or deliberately accessed or shared without the individual’s consent. This can happen in a number of ways ranging from malicious cyber-attacks to simple errors such as forwarding an email containing sensitive data to the wrong recipient.

Data breach specialist lawyer Kingsley Hayes from Hayes Connor Solicitors said: “A data breach can happen to anyone, at any time.

“The damage caused can vary depending on the extent of the breach and ranges from financial loss to psychological distress including depression and anxiety. Consumers have a right to have their personal data held securely and for their sensitive data to only be used for the purposes that they have intended and have agreed to.

“We help individuals to secure the compensation that is rightly theirs following a data breach – even when there has been no financial loss.”

Hayes Connor Solicitors operates on a no win, no fee basis and in recent months alone has actively engaged in litigation following severe data breaches of personal financial data by Equifax, Ticketmaster, Dixons Carphone and British Airways.

To contact the Hayes Connor team and to find out more about data breach claims, including a step-by-step guide on what to do if you have been affected, visit hayesconnor.co.uk