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University Of Salford Data Breach Compensation Claims Guide

If you can prove that your personal information was illegally accessed and you suffered financial or psychological harm as a result, you could make a data breach claim against the University of Salford, and Legal Expert can help.

Universities hold the personal information of staff, students and other people associated with them, like donors and alumni. Your personal data is valuable and if there is a breach, in the wrong hands a lot of harm can be done. Today, cybercriminals have the tools to breach a university’s systems if they are not secure. Should this happen and an unauthorised person gets hold of your personal data, you could have grounds to sue for compensation if you go on to suffer.

University Of Salford data breach claims guide

University Of Salford data breach claims guide

All organisations, which include universities in the UK, must abide by the laws relating to personal data. Our guide provides essential information regarding the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) and the Data Protection Act 2018. We explain when a data breach claim against Salford University is valid and how much you could receive in compensation.

You will find more advice and information on data breach claims in our guide. Alternatively, if you have any questions or feel you are ready to begin a claim, please call an adviser on 0800 073 8804 to receive free legal advice.

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A Guide On Data Breach Claims Against The University Of Salford

If you are the victim of a data breach, the GDPR allows you to seek compensation by filing a claim. When an organisation, business, or university collects your personal information, you must be informed on how they are going to use it. Personal data cannot be used by a data controller without your permission.

Should a data breach occur and your personal information is accessed by unauthorised people, you could sue for compensation if you suffer financially or mentally as a result. Our guide offers advice on how to go about making a data breach claim against Salford University if you’ve been impacted by such a violation. Information on what could justify pursuing a data breach claim and how much a claim of this nature could be worth is provided below.

Our guide also offers essential information on how Legal Expert can be of assistance. This includes how your case could be funded by a No Win No Fee Agreement. We explain how filing a claim early avoids a claim being time-barred. This means even though a data breach claim could have merit, you may have run out of time to seek compensation.

The time limit associated with a data breach claim is 6 years from the date you were made aware of it. However, if your human rights are affected, the time limit is shorter, standing at 1 year.

To find out whether you have a valid data breach claim against Salford University, please get in touch with a Legal Expert adviser today. Simply call the number shown at the top of the page to benefit from our free legal advice.

What Is A Breach Of Data Protection Legislation At Salford University?

Any business, organisation, or university that collects personal information must comply with the law that protects personal data. The legislation requires the following:

  • Legal compliance when collecting, processing, and storing data which includes transparency and fairness
  • That you are informed on how your personal data is used
  • Personal data is securely stored
  • Any personal information must not be stored/retained for longer than required
  • Minimum personal information required is processed
  • Personal data must be kept up to date

 The sort of personal information a university collects that is covered by the GDPR includes:

  • Name
  • Student number
  • Address
  • Telephone number
  • Email address

If you were the victim of a data breach because the university did not comply with the law, you could have good reason to sue. For free legal advice on whether you do have grounds to make a data breach claim against Salford University, please get in touch today.

Breaches In The GDPR At Universities

The Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) holds a register of all data breaches they investigate. One of these was a data breach that Blackbaud experienced. The company provides a service to universities, which is a cloud-based database to help them manage relationships with alumni. 

Hackers got into Blackbaud’s backup data. The cybercriminals downloaded the personal information held in the database and demanded payment for the destruction of their copies. Blackbaud paid a ransom to the cyber criminals before informing anyone affected there had been a data breach.

If you have evidence that your personal information was accessed by hackers in the Blackbaud data breach, you could sue the company rather than the university. That said, before doing anything you should consider getting free legal advice from a member of our team. You can reach them on the number at the top of this page.

Source: https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/technology-54370568

Types Of Higher Education Data Breach Cases Our Team Could Handle

Over the years, Legal Expert has handled many successful claims for clients. Our advisers have the required experience to assess your case in an initial no-obligation consultation. This first consultation is free of charge. If they find you have grounds to sue, we would introduce you to one of our specialist data breach solicitors.

The solicitor will offer to represent you on a No Win No Fee basis. This allows you to pursue a data breach claim without having to pay any fees upfront or during the claim, and if the case doesn’t succeed, you won’t be obligated to cover your lawyer’s fees. 

The sort of data breach claims our team can undertake includes the following:

  • An organisation, business, or university does not comply with data protection law and your personal information is accessed
  • Your personal information is shared without your permission
  • Your personal data is used in ways you did not consent to
  • Your data is not securely stored, either physically or virtually, and therefore accessed by unauthorised parties

These are just some of the types of data breach claims our team is able to help you with, though it’s by no means exhaustive. If you would like to discuss a potential data breach claim against Salford University, please contact an adviser today.

How Often Are Universities Affected By Data Breach Incidents?

A recent study carried out by IT security company Redscan found that cybersecurity at universities is sorely lacking. The study highlighted the following:

  • Just over half of all universities that responded to the survey experienced a data breach in the past 12 months
  • 8% experienced more than 5 data breaches in the last twelve months
  • 12% had an external penetration test 4 times a year but 27% did not organise any whatsoever
  • The average annual budget paid by a university for staff data security training was £7,529
  • Data security training and awareness was provided to just 54% of a university’s staff in the previous 12 months

For free legal advice on whether you have grounds to make a data breach claim against Salford University, please call an adviser today.

Source: https://www.redscan.com/news/state-of-cybersecurity-uk-universities-foi-report/

Cybercrime Attacks Against A University

Cybercriminals target universities because they carry out vital research. When unauthorised people get access to your personal data, they can sell the information to other cybercriminals, or they can use it themselves. Either way, the harm a data breach causes can be significant with an example being the Blackbaud data breach.

A university can receive a fine issued by the ICO if a data breach occurs, such as the University of Greenwich in 2018. As such, a university should take specific actions to enhance their cybersecurity by doing the following:

  • Review cybersecurity systems regularly and install upgrades when necessary
  • Provide staff and students with cybersecurity training
  • Regularly reviewing the university’s data protection policy

Legal Expert can answer questions you may have if your personal information is accessed in a university data breach. Your call is important and you will benefit from free legal advice on how to make a data breach claim when you get in touch.

What Compensation Could I Be Owed For A Breach Of My Data Privacy?

Data breach claims can be complex, more especially as there could not only be immediate harm, but you may have to face further harm later on. When an unauthorised person has access to your personal information, the damage could even be permanent.

As such, when calculating the harm caused by a data breach, you have to think about what could happen further down the line. In short, if you file a successful data breach claim against Salford University and receive a settlement, you cannot then file another one should the breach cause you problems later on.

The GDPR allows you to claim both material damage (financial) and non-material damage (psychological) if you are the victim of a data breach. This includes:

  • Emotional distress – anxiety, anguish, PTSD
  • Loss of privacy
  • Financial losses
  • Medical harm
  • Identity theft

When you are the victim of a data breach, your family and friends could also suffer. The level of data breach compensation you receive depends on how much your life, health, and well-being has been impacted.

It is always wiser to seek advice from a legal expert before going ahead with a data breach claim. As such, please get in touch with a member of our team and benefit from free legal advice today.

Settlement Calculator For Breaches Of Data Protection At Salford University

In the past, those who suffered psychological harm resulting from a data breach could not pursue compensation unless they experienced some sort of financial damage. That all changed in the case of Vidal-Hall and other vs Google Inc. [2015]

There, the Court of Appeal decided it could be possible to seek compensation for psychiatric injuries even in the absence of financial loss. They recommended that compensation for such harm be valued with reference to personal injury law.

Therefore, we’ve compiled the table below to give you an insight into the potential awards for different mental injuries and their severities. The figures have been taken from the Judicial College Guidelines, a document used by lawyers when valuing cases. 

Edit
Type of Injury/Harm Severity Amounts awarded in General Damages (Judicial College Guidelines)
Psychiatric Damage Severe £51,460 – £108,620
Psychiatric Damage Moderately Severe £17,900 to £51,460
Psychiatric Damage Moderate £5,500 to £17,900
Psychiatric Damage Less Severe Up to £5,500
Post Traumatic Stress Disorder Severe £56,180 to £94,470
Post Traumatic Stress Disorder Moderate to severe £21,730 to £56,180
Post Traumatic Stress Disorder Moderate £7,680 to £21,730
Post Traumatic Stress Disorder Less severe Up to £7,680

For further guidance on how much your possible data breach claim against Salford University might be valued at, please get in touch with a Legal Expert adviser today.

Should You Make A Claim For A Breach In Data Protection At Your University?

We have successfully handled many claims for clients in the past, and our reviews reflect the great service provided. We provide free legal advice and your initial consultation is also free of charge. You would be under no obligation to pursue a claim should you choose not to.

To discuss a data breach claim against Salford University, please get in touch with a member of the Legal Expert team today.

No Win No Fee Data Breach Claims Against The University Of Salford

You may worry about the cost of making a data breach claim against Salford University. At Legal Expert, we take on valid claims on a No Win No Fee basis. In short, your claim is funded by a No Win No Fee agreement. This is a legal contract between a solicitor and yourself. When you sign a Conditional Fee Agreement (CFA), which is the formal name for a No Win No Fee agreement, there are no fees to pay a solicitor upfront.

Firstly, a member of our team will thoroughly assess your data breach claim to determine that you have grounds to sue. We would introduce you to one of our expert data breach No Win No Fee solicitors. The Conditional Fee Agreement you sign sets out the following:

  • There is no fee to pay upfront
  • You do not pay ongoing fees as your data breach claim progresses
  • If your claim is unsuccessful, you will not have to pay your solicitor any fees for the services they provided
  • You pay a ‘success fee’ when you receive data breach compensation. This is a small, legally capped percentage of your compensation award. 

For free legal advice on whether you could make a data breach claim against Salford University on a No Win No Fee basis, please get in touch today.

Beginning A Claim

To speak to a specialist adviser about a data breach claim against Salford University, you can contact Legal Expert in the following ways:

Once we find you have good reason to seek compensation you would be offered No Win No Fee terms by one of our specialist data breach lawyers.

Related Guides

How to Claim Compensation for PTSD

If you’re suffering from symptoms of PTSD, head here to learn more about making a claim

Psychological injury claims

Please read our guide to psychological injury claims

Data Breach Claims Involving Your GP

Head here to learn more about seeking data breach compensation following a breach by your GP. 

Identity Theft What to Look Out For

Information about identity theft

Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder

NHS guidance on PTSD

Other Useful Guides

Thank you for reading our guide to making a data breach claim against Salford University.

Guide by Wood

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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