University Of Plymouth Data Breach Compensation Claims Guide
We have created this guide to provide you with information on the justifications behind a potential data breach claim against the University of Plymouth.
If your data was exposed in a university data breach due to poor data protection compliance, you may be able to make a claim. That is, providing you can prove you suffered mentally or experience financial loss (or both) because of the breach.
In this guide, we look at how breaches happen and the effect they can have on your life. As well as this, we explore how you could choose to use the services of a solicitor to claim compensation.
University Of Plymouth data breach claims guide
Claims are all unique, including your own. They are based on their own circumstances in relation to how they came about, and what is claimed for. Therefore, we may not be able to answer every potential question you have in one guide.
But if you do have questions that this guide leaves unanswered, don’t worry. Our claims line is open 24 hours a day. You can call 0800 073 8804 whenever you like. One of our advisors will answer all of your questions.
Select A Bookmark:
- A Guide On Data Breach Claims Against The University Of Plymouth
- What Is A Data Breach At The University Of Plymouth?
- Laws That Protect Your Private Data
- Breaches Of The GDPR In Higher Education
- Action Taken By The Information Commissioners’ Office Against Universities
- Rates Of Breaches In Data Protection In Higher Education
- What Your Data Breach Settlement Could Contain
- How Much Could You Claim For A Plymouth University Data Breach
- How Do I Find A Solicitor Or Lawyer For My Case?
- Making No Win No Fee Data Breach Claims Against The University Of Plymouth
- Talk To Our Team
- Related Guides
A Guide On Data Breach Claims Against The University Of Plymouth
In this article, we are going to explain the justifications and evidence you might need to make a data breach claim against the University of Plymouth.
We’ll give background information about data breaches such as:
- What they are
- How they happen
- The effect they can have on your life.
We also cover the laws in the UK that apply to data protection and the rights that these laws give you. Moving on, we look at how universities have suffered data breaches, including some examples and statistics.
We then move on to look at the claims process. You will find an explanation of the two types of compensation you could claim for. We include a compensation table showing how much you could be able to claim if you can prove you suffered psychological harm because of a data breach.
Lastly, we explain how a claim under a No Win No Fee agreement works. And we point out what the major advantages of using a solicitor working under such an agreement can be.
Claim Time Limits
If you’re eligible to claim, you should start the process within the applicable time limit. The time limits are:
- 6 years from the date you obtained knowledge of the breach.
- 1 year from the date you obtained knowledge of the breach if human rights are involved.
You can call and talk to our team to learn exactly which will apply based on the unique aspects of your own case.
Need More Advice On A Potential Data Breach Claim Against The University Of Plymouth?
For your convenience, our advisors are available around the clock. If you need questions answered, use the contact phone number at the end of the guide to get in touch with them. Alternatively, use our live chat to get instant guidance.
What Is A Data Breach At The University Of Plymouth?
Every organisation that we share our personal data with, including universities, must take measures to keep the data safe. This is a legal obligation that should not be ignored.
Unfortunately, despite best intentions, data breaches at universities do happen from time to time. A data breach could occur by accident or it could be the result of deliberate actions, such as a malicious cyber-attack.
If you can prove you suffered financial loss or psychological harm due to a data breach, you may be in a position to claim compensation. This is something that we could help you with. Call our team to learn how.
How Do Data Breaches Happen?
A data breach at a university could be caused by a university itself, or be a result of a malicious cyberattack. There are many ways that a university could put your data at risk. For example:
- It could give an unauthorised third party access to your data without your permission.
- A member of staff could accidentally send an email containing your personal information to a recipient who isn’t supposed to see it.
- A laptop could be lost or stolen, and your personal data could be easily accessible because it wasn’t secured properly.
- An employee could make changes to your personal information without getting your permission beforehand.
And then we have data breaches that are the result of nefarious activity. There are many types of cyberattacks that could expose your personal data, such as:
- SQL injection – inserting malicious SQL statements via web page input.
- Phishing attacks – attempting to fool university staff or students to divulge personal data.
- Man-in-the-middle attacks – these come in different forms. For example, an attacker may spoof a university IP address so that you think you’re interacting with the university. These attacks generally involve an attacker pretending to be a legitimate party and the victim who may believe that the attacker is the legitimate party.
- Eavesdropping attacks – someone uses unsafe or unsecured network connections to steal personal data.
- Drive-by attacks – attempting to get university staff or students to unintentionally download some kind of malicious code.
As you can see, there are many ways that your personal data might be exposed. If you can prove the university was the root cause and you suffered mentally or financially, you may be able to claim. You can learn more by calling our claims team.
If you would like our advice about what could justify a potential data breach claim against the University of Plymouth, why not ask for a free assessment of your case today?
How Can A Data Breach Affect You?
Part of making a claim for a data breach is understanding the level of harm it caused you. Just take a moment to think about all of the types of data a university might have of yours. This may include:
- Your email address, phone number and postal address.
- Details of bank cards, credit cards and bank accounts.
- Your National Insurance (NI) number.
- Your special category data (such as ethnic origin or data concerning your health).
- Details about extenuating circumstances or staff sickness.
Imagine putting all of that data into the hands of a criminal. With enough personal information, criminals may be able to commit identity fraud, empty your bank account or use your credit cards. This could cause you a significant level of financial loss. It could also result in psychiatric damage.
Recovering From A Data Breach
In a worst-case scenario, recovery from a data breach could take many years financially and psychologically. However, if you can prove you’ve suffered mentally or financially because of the breach, you could seek compensation.
Laws That Protect Your Private Data
The General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) is part of EU legislation. It was implemented into UK law through the Data Protection Act 2018. You can read about GDPR and data protection online.
Your Rights Under GDPR
Your data rights attempt to ensure that the chances of you suffering a data breach are minimised. You have the right to:
- Be informed
- Be given access to your data – your right to find out what personal data an organisation holds about you.
- Correction – if the private data an organisation holds about you is wrong.
- Data deletion – if it is no longer needed, or you request it to be.
- Restriction of how your data is used
- Data portability – the university should be able to provide you with a copy of your data in a readable format.
- Object – you can object to your data being used in certain circumstances.
If these rights are breached, then it could lead to a data breach. Our advisors can explain more about this.
Breaches Of The GDPR In Higher Education
If a university fails to meet the requirements of General Data Protection Regulations, and this compromises your data, then you may be able to make a data breach claim. However, you would need to be able to prove that you endured financial loss or mental harm as a consequence of the breach.
There have been serious data breaches affecting universities in the past. For example, the 2020 cyberattack against the cloud software provider, Blackbaud, meant that many UK universities had the data of students, alumni and staff stolen.
Blackbaud is used by educational establishments and non-profit organisations around the world. This attack potentially exposed the personal data held by over 120 organisations. The actual extent of data loss was never successful measured.
Blackbaud paid a ransom in exchange for assurances from the attackers that the data had been destroyed.
To find out if you have evidence of a valid data breach claim against the University Of Plymouth, call our advisors.
Action Taken By The Information Commissioners’ Office Against Universities
The ICO has taken action against universities in the UK in the past for data breaches. For example, in 2009 the ICO took action against The University of Manchester.
A member of staff had emailed the personal data, pertaining to 1,700 students, to 469 unauthorised recipients. As a result, the university had to sign a formal undertaking to say it would process personal information in line with the Data Protection Act.
If you have evidence of a valid data breach claim, we may be able to help you. Call and talk to our advisors and they will assist you further.
Source:https://www.databreaches.net/uk-ico-takes-enforcement-action-against-manchester-university-for-data-breach/
Rates Of Breaches In Data Protection In Higher Education
There has been a report published by Redscan that shows the extent of data breaches affecting universities. Of the universities that answered a Freedom of Information request, 54% had reported a data breach to the ICO in the 12 months leading up to July 2020. This indicates that there is a real risk of university data breaches in the UK.
It may be possible to make a compensation claim for the financial loss and harm you can prove you suffered due to a data breach. And we could be able to assist you. Call and speak to one of our advisors for free legal advice.
Source:https://www.redscan.com
What Your Data Breach Settlement Could Contain
When making a university data breach compensation claim, there are many reasons why you might seek damages. There are two types of claim.
Non-Material Damages
Vidal-Hall and others v Google Inc [2015] set a precedent, resulting in the claimant successfully receiving damages for psychological harm that the data breach caused. The Court of Appeal held that:
- Claimants that suffer psychologically can be compensated even if they haven’t suffered financially. (This wasn’t possible before this case.)
- The compensation for psychiatric damage can be valued as it is for personal injury claims.
We have provided a compensation table in the next section that covers some potential damages you could receive for psychological harm.
Material Damages
And then there are the financial losses you experience because of the breach. If you endured financial loss because of the way that your private data was used, then you could be able to claim these losses back.
A tip here is to keep a note of all the costs you incur due to the data breach. This would include expenses caused by the breach, such as purchases charged to your account that you didn’t make. You can submit statements and receipts (for example) to try and claim these costs back.
Every claim is unique, including the types of damages you could be able to claim for. Because of this, we recommend you talk to an advisor. Explain your situation to them and they should be able to give you a general idea of the types of damages that might be applicable in your own case.
How Much Could You Claim For A Plymouth University Data Breach?
If you make a data breach claim, you might seek compensation for psychological suffering such as stress and trauma. If you do, the level of compensation you could receive should correlate with the amount of harm you suffered. The compensation table below shows this. It is based on recommended compensation figures found in the Judicial College Guidelines. this is a publication used for valuing claims.
| Medical Condition | Severity of Condition | Additional Information | Potential Compensation Range |
|---|---|---|---|
| Psychiatric Damage | Severe | This category of severe psychological harm would generally cover conditions with permanent effects. | £51,460 to £108,620 |
| Psychiatric Damage | Moderately Severe | The victim would suffer some impairment of their ability to function on a day-to-day basis. However, the prognosis would be much better than above. | £17,900 to £51,460 |
| Psychiatric Damage | Moderate | This category of moderate psychological harm would generally cover symptoms that would have some effect on the victim’s ability to function. However, with therapy and treatment, the victim would make a full recovery in time. | £5,500 to £17,900 |
| Psychiatric Damage | Less Severe | The level of the condition’s effect on everyday activities and sleep would be considered when calculating compensation. | Up to £5,500 |
| Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder | Severe | PTSD with some permanent effects. | £56,180 to £94,470 |
| Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder | Less Severe | Where an almost full recovery occurs within two years. | £3,710 to £7,680 |
If you would like a personalised estimate of how much you could claim for a university data breach, then please call and talk to our advisors. If you have evidence of a valid claim, they could connect you with a lawyer to evaluate your case for you.
How Do I Find A Solicitor Or Lawyer For My Case?
Do you have evidence of a valid claim and need to find a good lawyer to help you to make a data breach claim against a university? We advise that you find a lawyer who:
- Is contactable and readily answers your queries
- Has reliable and positive reviews
- Has experience and is professional
- Cuts through legal jargon for you
- Can work for you from anywhere in the country
We have a simple three-step process for helping you connect with our solicitors.
- Use the number at the end of this guide to reach out to our advisors, who will try to answer all of your questions.
- An advisor will look at your claim for you, and let you know what your legal options are.
- If you have evidence of a valid claim and it’s favourable, the advisor could connect you with a data protection lawyer. They’d work for you under a No Win No Fee agreement.
No Win No Fee Data Breach Claims Against The University Of Plymouth
The term No Win No Fee defines itself. If you don’t win your data breach claim against a university, you don’t pay your solicitor their fee.
There would be no fee at the start of your claim either. And as the claim is processed, your solicitor won’t ask for ongoing solicitor fees to be paid. If the claim is not won, your solicitor will not expect to be paid their fee.
If you do win your claim through, your solicitor would generally ask that you pay them a small success fee. The amount of this fee is limited by law. The fee can be taken directly out of your compensation, leaving the rest of it for your benefit.
If you have questions about how a Conditional Fee Agreement (the formal term for a No Win No Fee agreement) works, then please call and talk to our team. They will explain things further.
Talk To Our Team About Our Data Breach Claim Against The University Of Plymouth Guide
Do you have questions about the process of making a data breach claim? Whatever legal help and advice you need in relation to a claim, if you have evidence of a valid claim, we could help.
Our claims line is open 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. You can:
- Contact our claims team on 0800 073 8804.
- Use our live chat.
- Contact us through our website.
One of our advisors can talk over your claim with you and let you know what your next step should be.
Related Guides
We have linked these other claim guides that are similar to this one and worth reading over.
How To Claim For A Data Breach Against Your Local Council
A General Guide To Making A Compensation Claim For A Data Breach
A Guide To Making A Compensation Claim For A Data Breach That A Tech Company Was Responsible For
Each of these external links has important information that could be relevant to the claim you want to make.
ICO Information About The Data Protection Act 2018
What Are Your Rights Under The General Data Protection Regulations?
General Information About GDPR Compliance
Other Useful Compensation Guides
- Post Office Money Data Breach Compensation Claims
- Halifax Data Breach Compensation Claims
- University Of Liverpool Data Breach
- University Of West London Data Breach Compensation Claims
- Well Pharmacy Data Breach Compensation Claims
- MoneySuperMarket Data Breach Compensation Claims
- Ministry of Defence Data Breach Compensation Claims
- My Personal Data Has Been Lost After a Data Breach, What Are My Rights?
- I Suffered Stress Due To a Data Breach, Can I Claim?
- Cambridge Constabulary Data Breach
- Gwent Police Data Breach
Thank you for reading this guide on what evidence could justify a data breach claim against the University Of Plymouth.
Written by Wheeler
Edited by Victorine
