What do we now know about the Cambian data breach?
November 28, 2023
Earlier this year, Cambian Group experienced a data breach. Almost a year on, here’s what we know about the Cambian data breach.
In January 2023, Cambian Group, which is one of the largest children’s social care providers in the UK, discovered “unauthorised activity” on its computer systems.
Cambian is owned by CareTech. It operates a network of hospitals, schools, and homes for children and adults with learning disabilities, autism, and mental health conditions. Cambian currently looks after 2,100 children across the UK, and its services have a specific focus on individuals who present with high-severity needs. By the Bridge Fostering – part of the Cambian Group – is also affected by this data security incident.
The AvosLocker ransomware gang, which has been flagged as a threat by the FBI, is thought to be behind the attack.
Keller Postman UK has launched an investigation to find out how this data privacy breach was allowed to happen, and how the security incident affects those who use Cambian’s services.
If you are affected by the Cambian data breach, join our no-win, no-fee action and claim compensation for this data protection failure. Because of the nature of this breach, and the sensitivities involved, we can represent you anonymously, and speak on your behalf.
*As of 25 April 2023
A significant amount of personal data – including sensitive special category health data – has been put up for sale online. This includes:
Including names, dates of birth, home addresses, contact numbers, and email addresses.
Including telephone numbers, and email addresses.
Such as Educational Health Care Plan reports, GP records, medical notes, diagnosis, and referrals to other medical professions.
Including names, sort codes, and account numbers.
The fact that this data could be sold and bought by cybercriminals is extremely worrying.
Teachers and other workers within Cambian’s schools are also affected by this data breach. And, almost four months after the data security breach, By the Bridge Fostering – part of the Cambian Group – wrote to former foster parents with more information. According to a Data Incident Notification sent to affected individuals, the stolen data includes:
Worryingly, Cambian admits that further data could also be affected.
Cambian has written to those affected to make them aware of this attack. However, despite becoming aware of the incident at the start of 2023, Cambian took two months to inform those affected by the breach.
At Keller Postman UK, we have seen victims of similar data breaches become the target of cybercriminals, with instances of phishing, fraud, and identity theft. Some victims of this breach have already experienced fraudulent transactions. By failing to take sufficient steps to notify all those involved immediately, Cambian left them exposed as they were not given the opportunity to protect themselves. This adds to the victims’ worry now that they have found out about the breach.
Our data protection experts strongly advise anyone involved in this breach to be vigilant and take necessary precautions.
REGISTER TO FIND OUT MORE ABOUT THE CAMBIAN DATA BREACH GROUP ACTION.
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Earlier this year, Cambian Group experienced a data breach. Almost a year on, here’s what we know about the Cambian data breach.
Find our answers to some of the most frequently asked questions we have received about joining our data breach group action.
Cambian Group – has written to former foster parents with more information about the By the Bridge data breach.
In January 2023, Cambian Group discovered “unauthorised activity” on its computer systems. Cambian is “now working with third party IT experts who are continuing to investigate the incident and ascertain what data has been compromised.”
Cambian immediately took its systems offline after discovering the hack. It also reported the attack to the Information Commissioner’s Office, the National Cyber-Security Centre, the National Crime Agency, local authorities, and its regulators.
The stolen information relates to Cambian students, their parents and next of kin. Personal, medical and financial information was compromised and has since been found for sale on the dark web. In April 2023, Cambian wrote to former foster parents to confirm their involvement in the data breach.
Teachers and other workers within Cambian’s schools are also affected.
Cambian should have informed those affected by the incident. Anyone involved in this data protection failure should immediately take steps to protect themselves.
It is unlikely that cybercriminals would have accessed Cambian’s systems if robust data security processes had been in place. As such, Cambian must be held accountable for any losses and distress experienced.
A group action claim is where a group of people – sometimes even thousands of people – have been affected by the same issue. Group action cases are also known as class actions, multi-claimant, or multi-party actions.
We expect our confidential medical data to be taken care of. But the UK health sector accounts for nearly half of all data breaches, and as our health and social care system becomes increasingly digital, there are concerns that the robust protections required are simply not in place.
Data privacy is often being treated as an afterthought, and while no one wants to sue those working in the sector, making a claim is sometimes the only way to force improvements in data security. It is also worth mentioning that such organisations should be insured against compensation claims.
There are no costs to join a claim. However, if your claim is successful, you may have to pay a ‘success fee’. This fee is taken from the compensation awarded to you. At Keller Postman UK, our success fee is competitive, and we make sure you are fully informed about any potential costs before you officially join our action. If you lose, you won’t have to pay a penny.
Find out more about making a group action claim for compensation.
What does no-win, no-fee actually mean and are there really no costs if you appoint us?
We are one of the most experienced multi-claimant law firms in the UK.
Our GDPR, data breach and cybercrime specialists have a combined experience of over 50 years.
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While each case is judged on its own merits, there are some things we would typically look for when it comes to when claiming compensation following a data breach, cybercrime or other GDPR violation:
With stolen data, cybercriminals can make purchases using your bank and credit cards, apply for credit in your name, set up fraudulent bank accounts and access your existing online accounts.
GDPR failures, cybercrime and data breaches can have a significant impact on you, both mentally and physically. They can cause or exacerbate anxiety, stress and other psychological conditions.
Keller Postman UK has some of the most skilled data breach lawyers in England and Wales. Here are just some of our success stories.
Keller Postman UK is a founding member of the Collective Redress Lawyers Association (CORLA). CORLA aims to improve access to justice for claimants by way of collective redress.