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Manchester Metropolitan University Data Breach Compensation Claims Guide – How Much Compensation Can I Claim? – Amounts For Manchester Metropolitan University Data Breach

My Data Privacy Was Breached By Manchester Metropolitan University, Can I Claim?

This article is going to show you when data breach claims against Manchester Metropolitan University might be justified, the amount of compensation that could be paid and the harm that could be caused. Universities in the UK have to process large quantities of personal, and sometimes sensitive information to be able to operate properly. While there’s no doubt such information is needed, care needs to be taken to make sure it’s not lost or stolen as it could cause a lot of problems in the wrong hands.

Manchester Metropolitan University data breach claims guide

Manchester Metropolitan University data breach claims guide

New laws have been introduced in recent times to give individuals (data subjects) more control over how their information is used. Organisations (data controllers) must now tell you when they want to use your personal data, why they want it and who it will be shared with.

Any data controller who breaks the rules set out by the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) or The Data Protection Act 2018, could be handed a severe financial penalty by the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO). Moreover, you may be entitled to compensation for any harm caused.

Legal Expert is here to help if you decide that you’d like to make a university data breach claim. Our advisors will happily assess your claim on a no-obligation basis and provide free advice about your options. If the case appears feasible, you could have one of our specialist data breach solicitors appointed to it. All claims that we take on are funded by our No Win No Fee solution.

Why not get in touch today by calling 0800 073 8804 if you’re ready to begin? Alternatively, read on for more details on why data breach claims might be possible.

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A Guide To Data Breach Claims Against Manchester Metropolitan University

There is no doubt that universities need personal information to be able to manage the progression of their students. But, under the rules set by the GDPR, they must inform data subjects about why their data is required, when it will be shared and how else it will be used.

For this reason, when you sign up for a university course, or you sign a contract to work at a university, there will be detailed information presented to you. Also, you’ll be asked to agree to how your data can be used. On paper forms, this will usually involve ticking boxes or on a website, you’ll probably see popup messages.

After your data privacy preferences have been collected, the most important thing is that they are adhered to. For example, if you registered your email address with a website so that you can log in, they can’t automatically use it to send you marketing messages.

Additionally, the ICO could fine any organisation that lose personal data following a breach if it didn’t have enough security measures in place. If you suffer any type of harm (like financial losses or psychiatric injuries) you could go on to make a compensation claim.

When claiming, you will need to be aware of the strict time limits. Generally, you will get 6-years from the date you obtained knowledge of the breach to begin, but please take note that some claims (relating to breaches of human rights) only have 1-year to claim. Starting as early as possible is probably wise as your solicitor may find it is easier to obtain evidence to support your case.

Once you have read the rest of this article on data breach claims against Manchester Metropolitan University, please get in touch if you’d like to discuss your case with a specialist.

What Are Breaches Of Data Protection By Manchester Met University?

Because of the amount of personal information that’s held electronically these days, you might think the GDPR was only concerned with breaches caused by cybersecurity problems like phishing emails, ransomware, malware, viruses, keyloggers and denial of service attacks.

However, all data of a personal nature is covered by the legislation even if it is a hard copy stored in a filing cabinet. For example, a pharmacy firm recently received a financial penalty from the ICO as it had stored half a million patient records in unsecured cabinets at the back of its premises.

A personal data breach, in terms of the GDPR, is defined as an event that takes place and leads to personal information being lost, destroyed, disclosed, altered or accessed in any unauthorised manner.

If a data controller is made aware of a breach involving their data, they are legally obliged to commence an internal investigation. Should any data subject be at risk because of the leaked information, they must be told about what’s happened. Also, the ICO must be told about the breach too.

If you would like us to take a look at your case for free so that we can determine if you’re entitled to compensation, please speak to a member of our team today.

Breaches In The GDPR And Data Privacy

Unlike some legislation, the GDPR is quite an easy read, even though it is 88-pages long. It defines roles very clearly and explains who has what responsibilities. For instance, data controllers (such as universities) need to show that they comply with the following principles when processing data. They must:

  • Only collect as much personal data as is needed and nothing extra.
  • Always inform the data subject about why they require their personal data.
  • Use processing methods that are transparent, fair and, of course, legal.
  • Stick to processing methods that are confidential and do not retain any personal information for longer than necessary.
  • Make sure that personal information is always kept up to date.

The data that is covered by the GDPR is called personally identifiable information. This is any data that could, directly or indirectly, help to identify a data subject. Common forms of protected data include names, enrolment numbers, staff ID numbers, addresses, mobile numbers and email addresses. Additionally, some data about protected characteristics are also covered, such as details about ethnicity, disability, age or sexual orientation.

For free advice on starting a university data breach claim, why not get in contact with one of our specialist advisors today?

Examples Of Cyber Security And Data Protection Breaches By Universities

At the time of writing, we are not aware of any specific Manchester Metropolitan University data breaches. As such, in this section, we’re going to look at the Blackbaud hack that had the potential to cause problems for a number of UK universities.

The breach occurred in May 2020 when the company, which supply a cloud-based database system to the higher education sector, realised that a subset of their backup data had been stolen. Later on, a ransom demand was issued by the hackers.

As per the protocol, the company investigated and then had to inform any customers who may have been at risk. Names, addresses and other contact details for alumni, staff and students were thought to have been included in the stolen information.

Unusually, Blackbaud went against normal advice and decided that, in return for an assurance the data had been destroyed, they would pay the ransom.

Further information: https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/technology-53516413

For help starting any type of university data breach claim, please contact Legal Expert’s advice line today.

How Many Breaches In Data Protection Have Happened To Universities?

Even with the information we have supplied in this article so far, you may be sat there wondering just how common university data breaches really are. Well, they are becoming more and more prevalent. To demonstrate this, we are going to supply some statistics from a recent study involving 86 British universities that was commissioned by a data security firm. The report reveals that:

  • A massive 54% of respondents said they had reported themselves to the ICO for a data breach in the last 12-months.
  • The average staff data safety training budget amounted to just £7,529 per university.
  • In the past year, 46% of university employees had not been given any data safety training.
  • Just 51% of students are offered any form of data security training.
  • Over a quarter (27%) of the universities said that they had never asked a security firm to check for flaws in their IT infrastructure.

Report URL: https://www.redscan.com/media/The-state-of-cyber-security-across-UK-universities-Redscan-report.pdf

Due to the vast amount of personal data universities need to process, you might be surprised at some of the figures revealed by this report. In the following section, we’ll look at what can be done to help prevent future breaches.

Cybercrime Affecting Higher Education In The UK

As we have demonstrated, the number of cybercrimes against universities is increasing. Due to the sensitive data universities hold, this rise needs to be addressed. We are not experts in IT security but there are some common industry recommendations that might help lower the number of data breaches. They include:

  • Using encryption software on devices so that any data is unreadable should the device end up in the wrong hands.
  • Training students, staff and contractors to make them data-aware.
  • Hiring penetration testers to try and breach university security measures so that weaknesses can be repaired before criminals find them.
  • Conducting regular reviews and updates of data protection policies.
  • Applying the latest security patches to devices before they are allowed on to the network.

Obviously, some higher education establishments don’t have the budgets they want for IT security. However, this type of investment should be considered a priority in our opinion. After all, stopping a future data breach could prevent an ICO fine for the university as well as a lot of harm to anybody who would have been affected.

Ways In Which Data Breach Claimants Could Be Awarded Compensated?

We’d like to say that claiming compensation for a personal data breach is an easy process, but it’s not! There are many factors to consider and you’ll need to supply evidence to back up each part of your claim. Also, as only one claim can be made, your compensation must also consider any future harm that might result as well.

The first element of the claim will be for material damages. This compensation looks at what money you have lost as a result of the breach. The first part of the calculation will be for any money that has already been lost, but then you will need to consider future losses too. For example, you might have to pay considerably more for a mortgage or loan if your credit record has suffered because of identity theft.

Next, you’ll add non-material damages to your claim if there are any. This is compensation used to try and cover the pain, suffering or loss of amenity caused by psychiatric injuries. The range of injuries might start with mild anxiety and go all the way up to permanent Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD). Usually, your calculation will start with injuries that have already been diagnosed. An independent specialist might then assess you to see if any symptoms will cause you problems in the future.  For example, PTSD could have an impact on your ability to work for some time.

The complexity of these cases is the reason we would advise anybody who is considering claiming to have legal representation. If your claim is taken on by Legal Expert, we will provide a specialist data breach solicitor who’ll assess your claim to ensure all aspects of your suffering are included. So, why not call our team today and have your claim assessed for free?

Compensation Claim Calculator For Data Breaches At Manchester Metropolitan University

As a rule, we can only really provide personalised compensation estimates after your case has been reviewed properly. However, in this section, we’re going to supply you with some example compensation amounts that could be paid for certain types of psychiatric injuries.

Importantly, the Court of Appeal has decided that you can claim for such injuries without having lost any money (in the case Vidal-Hall and others v Google Inc [2015]). They also stated that payments should be made at the same values as those awarded in personal injury cases.

The data in our table comes from a document lawyers and other legal professionals refer to when settling cases called the Judicial College Guidelines.

Edit
Claim Type Severity Level Compensation Range Additional Information
Psychiatric Injury (general) Severe £51,460 – £108,620 Claimants in this category will be given a very poor prognosis. They will not respond well to treatment leaving them vulnerable and they will struggle to manage relationships, deal with work and cope with everyday situations.
Psychiatric Injury (general) Moderately Severe £17,900 to £51,460 Claimants in this category will suffer similarly to above. However, their chances of recovery will be better so they will have a more optimistic prognosis.
Psychiatric Injury (general) Less Severe Up to £5,500 Mild injuries that resolve within a short space of time.
PTSD Moderately Severe £21,730 to £56,180 While it is possible that medical support will help aid recovery in this category, it is very likely that the claimant will suffer significantly for the immediate future.
PTSD Moderate £7,680 to £21,730 A category used when the most serious symptoms have been resolved. Usually, any ongoing issues will be minor and not seriously disabling.

You’ll notice that compensation amounts are based on how severe your injuries are. To try and ensure any payment is at the right level, you’ll need to supply evidence to support your claim. Therefore, you will be asked to visit an independent medical specialist during the claims process. During your appointment, they will ask a series of questions and assess the impact the data breach has had on you. They may also refer to any medical records available to them.

Once the medical assessment has concluded, the specialist will detail their findings in a report for your solicitor. For your information, medical assessments are required for all data breach compensation claims.

How Data Protection Breach Solicitors Could Assist You

OK, if you’ve read why university data breach claims are possible and have decided that you want to start a claim, you may now want to look for a solicitor to help you. Choosing one might involve searching your local area, asking friends for recommendations or reading online reviews. Alternatively, you could save some time and call Legal Expert.

We are happy to provide free legal advice and answer any questions about your claim. After a no-obligation review of your case, we could appoint a solicitor to work for you. They will:

  • Provide answers to any questions you have throughout the claim.
  • Make sure you receive regular updates about the case progress.
  • Explain the complex legal terminology that sometimes crops up.
  • Try hard to achieve the highest settlement amount in your case.

If you’d like to find out if our solicitors could help you claim, please call our advice line today.

No Win No Fee Data Breach Claims Against Manchester Metropolitan University

Let’s be honest, nobody wants to lose money when making a compensation claim. In fact, the very thought might put you off starting legal proceedings. We try to help as many people as possible, so we offer a No Win No Fee service to reduce your financial risk for any claim we accept.

To offer this service, one of our solicitors will need to review the viability of your claim. If they take it on, the claims process will be outlined in a Conditional Fee Agreement (CFA). Also, the CFA will explain that there aren’t any upfront charges, no hidden fees and you won’t have to cover any solicitor’s fees if the claim fails.

If there is a positive result in your case, a small percentage of your compensation will be retained by your solicitor to cover the cost of their work. In the CFA, you’ll see this listed as the success fee and your percentage will be there from the start so you can make an informed decision about working with us. By law, all success fees are capped.

Why not contact our data breach claims advisers today to check if you could claim using our No Win No Fee service?

Get In Contact With Our Team

We hope that the information we have supplied about data breach claims against Manchester Metropolitan University has helped. If you are now considering starting a claim and would like our help to do so, you can get in contact with us by:

We don’t want to waste anybody’s time. So, when you call, we’ll offer free legal advice after assessing your claim and we’ll be completely honest about how likely you are to win compensation. If your case appears to be viable, we could partner you with a specialist data breach solicitor from our team. If they take your claim on, it will be carried out using our No Win No Fee service.

Extra Resources

You have arrived at this final part of our article on data breach claims against Manchester Metropolitan University. We have tried to include all of the details you need to help you decide whether to make a claim or not. If you do claim, you may find some of the links below helpful.

Furthermore, to demonstrate what other types of claims we can support you with, there are some additional Legal Expert guides as well. If you think of anything other information you need, please feel free to call.

Data Protection And Privacy – The data privacy policies for Manchester Metropolitan University.

Stress Advice – Information on one of the many types of anxiety from a UK charity.

How To Report Data Breaches – Details of the proper process you should follow before contacting the ICO.

Motorbike Accident Claims – This guide shows you when you can claim compensation for injuries caused by motorcycle accidents.

Head Injury Claims – A look at the different scenarios that could lead to claims for head injuries.

Factory Accident Claims – Details on when you could make a claim for injuries sustained whilst working in a factory.

Other Useful Compensation Guides

Thank you for reading our guide to data breach claims against Manchester Metropolitan University.

 

Guide by Hambridge

Edited by Billing

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    • Patrick Mallon

      Patrick is a Grade A solicitor having qualified in 2005. He's an an expert in accident at work and public liability claims and is currently our head of the EL/PL department. Get in touch today for free to see how we can help you.

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