Just before Christmas 2020, NOW: Pensions experienced a serious data breach. The privacy failure put 30,000 customers at risk after their sensitive personal details were posted on the internet.
On this occasion, the data breach was not caused by cybercriminals. Instead, one of NOW: Pensions service partners unintentionally posted customer data online in a public software forum. This information was then copied by “a small number of unknown parties”. As a result, it is highly likely that scammers now have access to this data and may use it to defraud people, or to sell to other criminals on the dark web.
What data was exposed in the NOW: Pensions breach?
The data accessed includes customer names, email addresses, dates of birth and National Insurance numbers.
When did the breach take place?
The NOW: Pensions breach happened between Friday 11 and Monday 14 December 2020.
Have you been affected by the data breach?
On 22nd December 2020, the pensions provider notified affected customers to let them know about the breach of their personal data. Not everyone who has a pension with NOW: Pensions has been affected. The company manages pensions for 1.8 million workers and fewer than 2% of these customers were involved in the data breach incident.
If you have received confirmation that you are involved in this breach, you may be able to make a data breach compensation claim against NOW: Pensions.
How has NOW: Pensions responded to the breach?
NOW: Pensions has reported the incident to The Pensions Regulator and The Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO). It is likely that their will now be an investigation into the privacy violation.
What do you need to do to stay safe?
NOW: Pensions acknowledges that improper use of customer identity (based on the data taken) is possible. And it is taking steps to protect customers from harm. However, according to an article in The Guardian, criminals spent much of 2020 making fake universal credit claims in people’s names, using exactly the data stolen in this case. The Guardian also reported how one person affected by the breach had already been targeted by scammers using data stolen in this incident. So, customers must be vigilant.
To find out more about making a data breach compensation claim against NOW: Pensions, contact our expert data protection lawyers today.
