By Cat Wayne. Last Updated 27th August 2024. On the 13th of February 2024, customers of Southern Water received notification that a data breach had occurred. Below, we look at who could be eligible to start a claim for Southern Water data breach compensation, in addition to explaining the incident in more detail.
At Data Breach Claims UK, our advisors are available 24/7 to provide further guidance, address your concerns or assess your eligibility to begin a claim.
You can call us on 020 8050 3051 or contact us through our website.
Key Facts On The Southern Water Data Breach
- Southern Water is responsible for critical national infrastructure, supplying clean and wastewater services to some 4.7 million people across the south of England.
- Southern Water issued a statement declaring that suspicious activity was detected on 23rd January 2024.
- Following on from this, it is understood that between 5-10% of the customer base, between 450,000 and half a million people, as well as 2,000 current and former employees, may have had their personal data exposed in this cyber attack.
- The Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO), the UK’s independent body for upholding information rights, has opened an investigation into the data breach.
- Russian ransomware organisation Black Basta has claimed responsibility for the cyber attack. This group was also responsible for the Capita data breach last year.
Source: https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-kent-68284475
Source: https://techcrunch.com/2024/02/14/uk-utility-giant-southern-water-says-hackers-stole-personal-data-of-hundreds-of-thousands-of-customers/
What Data Was Affected?
The ICO define personal data as any information that allows the direct or indirect identification of a living individual. As a utility company, Southern Water hold customer addresses, their names and contact information, and their bank and credit card information for billing purposes.
As we said above, we know that around half a million customers were impacted by the Southern Water Cyber Attack and may have had their personal information exposed.
Although Southern Water has not confirmed exactly what personal data was impacted, it has been suggested that this data included:
- Names.
- National Insurance numbers.
- Dates of birth.
- Reference numbers.
- Bank account details.
If you have been impacted by the Southern Water Data, you can contact our advisors to see whether you may be able to make a claim.
Source: https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-kent-68284475
What To Do If You Were Impacted By The Southern Water Data Breach
As a data controller, Southern Water should have notified all affected data subjects who had been affected as soon as possible. A report to the ICO should also have been made within 72 hours. If you are a Southern Water customer who has not received such notification, such as a letter or email, you should contact Southern Water for clarification.
The ICO has opened an investigation and stated that anyone who is concerned about this data breach can contact them. Southern Water has offered its customers a 12-month subscription to enhanced Experian credit monitoring to help protect them from potential fraud.
You can also talk to us for free legal advice concerning a personal data breach. Our team are on hand 24 hours today to address your concerns, as well as provide a free assessment of your eligibility to claim.
How Many Were Affected In This Data Breach?
As we said above, these figures are only an estimate, but between 5 – 10% of Southern Water’s customer base has been affected. As the company provides essential water services to 4.7 million people, that’s potentially 500,000 people at risk of suffering damage.
In addition to this, approximately 2,000 current and former employees have also said to have had their data breached in this attack. If you have been affected or suspect you might have been affected, you can get free legal advice from our experienced advisory team using the number given above.
What Impacts Could This Data Breach Have?
There are two types of damage that can occur following a data breach. These are:
- Material damage: this refers to the financial impacts of a data breach. This can include money being stolen from your account, as well as ongoing damage to your credit score due to fraudulent purchases made in your name.
- Non-material damage: the psychiatric harm caused by having your personal data breached. This can be stress and anxiety, to more serious conditions such as post-traumatic stress disorder.
The potential loss of considerable sums of money, as well as the exposure of sensitive data, could cause those affected considerable psychological distress. A solicitor from our panel of data breach experts could assist you with making a Southern Water data breach compensation claim.
To learn more about the data breach claims process, including your eligibility to proceed, call us for free to speak with an advisor today.
Can I Claim Southern Water Data Breach Compensation?
In order to begin a Southern Water data breach compensation claim, you will need to demonstrate that there was positive wrongful conduct on the data controller’s behalf. This conduct must contravene their obligations under UK GDPR.
You must also prove that you suffered either a financial loss or psychiatric distress because of the breach.
If our advisors decide that you meet both of these criteria, a specialist data breach solicitor from our panel of experts could offer to take up your case on a No Win No Fee basis. The Conditional Fee Agreement (a form of No Win No Fee agreement) offered by our panel of experts means, in most cases, there will be no fees upfront, during the claim itself or if your claim fails.
You will only pay a fee if your claim is a success, and this fee is capped by the Conditional Fee Agreements Order 2013.
Can A No Win No Fee Solicitor Help Me?
If you’re eligible to Southern Water data breach compensation, you might be looking for a solicitor to help. Data protection law can be complex, and a lot of people don’t know where to start with the data breach claims process.
Our panel of expert solicitors can help you in a number of ways, including:
- Negotiating a settlement.
- Maximising your potential data breach payout.
- Supporting your claim with evidence.
- Explaining the claims process.
- Preparing your case for court when necessary.
These are just a few of the ways that our panel could help you claim Southern Water cyber attack compensation. The knowledge and experience that an expert solicitor can bring to your claim can make the process feel easier, less stressful, and more manageable.
As mentioned above, all of the solicitors on our panel work on a No Win No Fee basis by offering you a Conditional Fee Agreement. This means you don’t pay for their work upfront, you don’t pay for their work as the claim is ongoing, and you don’t pay a fee for their work if the claim fails.
Contact Us
Our team of advisors can help if you’d like to learn more about your next steps following a potential Southern Water data breach. They can answer any questions you may have, and can give you more information on how an expert solicitor could help.
To get in touch:
- Call us on 020 8050 3051
- Contact us online.
- Use the live chat feature.
Further Guidance On Data Breach Claims:
You can refer to these data breach claims guides on our website for further information:
- Read our guide to claiming compensation for a human error data breach.
- A breach of your passport data can have serious consequences. Find out about starting a claim for such a breach here.
- Learn more about who could be eligible to begin a medical data breach compensation claim.
We have also provided some external resources that you may find helpful:
- It is the right of all data subjects to complain to the ICO if they feel their data is being put at risk by a data controller’s conduct.
- A personal data breach can be highly detrimental to your mental health in terms of stress or more severe conditions. Read the NHS guidance on their website.
- The National Cyber Security Centre has published this extensive resource for individuals and families to help them protect their personal data.
Thank you for reading our article on who could claim Southern Water data breach compensation. We understand that being affected by this data breach could be a highly distressing and difficult time.
That’s why our experienced advisory team are always available to take your call for free advice or a no-fee, no-obligation assessment of your eligibility to claim. Get in touch today using the number at the top of this page.
