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Customer details exposed following Arnold Clark data breach

Car dealer Arnold Clark have contacted customers to inform them of the details of a data breach following a cyber security incident at the end of 2022.

In a letter to affected customers, Arnold Clark confirmed that they were subject to a cyber-attack on 23 December 2022, involving the personal data which was stored on their network.

The attack saw an unauthorised third-party gain access to data including:

  • Names
  • Contact details
  • Dates of birth
  • Vehicle details
  • ID documents (such as passports and drivers’ licences)
  • National insurance numbers
  • Bank account details

Arnold Clark’s cyber security team have advised that this data was extracted by the hackers responsible for the attack.

This is supported by recent reports which have provided further context to the attack. The Mail on Sunday recently reported that an individual claiming association with the ransomware cartel Play has posted a 15GB tranche of customer data from the incident on to the dark web.

Arnold Clark have previously commented on the breach, issuing a statement to Automotive Management. However, the company declined to speak on the ransom demand.

“We take the security and safety of our customer data very seriously and accurate identification of any potential compromise of that data remains our primary focus.” The statement read.

“Once we have a full picture of all the data that is potentially compromised, we will be contacting our customers to make them aware.”

If you have been contacted by Arnold Clark and have been informed that your data has been compromised in the breach, you may be able to make a compensation claim.

At Hayes Connor, our specialist data breach solicitors are currently advising Arnold Clark customers on their rights for making a claim for compensation. We are also ready to provide expert advice and guidance to anyone else who has been affected.

To find out more about whether you will be in a position to make a claim and how to get started, please get in touch.

What to do if you are concerned about the Arnold Clark data breach

If your personal data has been compromised following the cyber-attack on Arnold Clark, the company should have taken the steps to get in touch with you. That being said, we know all too well that mistakes can be made. If you are yet to be contacted by Arnold Clark and you are concerned that your data has been breached, the first step to take will be to get in touch with them as soon as possible.

Following any sort of data breach, you should always be vigilant when receiving unexpected communications, especially where they appear to be from someone claiming to represent Arnold Clark. There is a chance that these could be sophisticated ‘phishing attacks’ which are designed to extract further personal information from you.

There are several ways to reduce the risk of cybercriminals using your personal data against you. To find out more about this, read our helpful guide on what to do if your data has been stolen in a data breach.

If your data has been compromised in the Arnold Clark data breach, you may be entitled to compensation. This is something the team at Hayes Connor can help you with.

How Hayes Connor can help you claim compensation for the Arnold Clark data breach

If a business or organisation stores your personal data, they are legally required to keep it secure. This includes taking appropriate measures to prevent any cyber-attacks and subsequent access from unauthorised third parties. If a business fails to take these measures, anyone who is affected may have a right to claim compensation.

At Hayes Connor, we have one of the largest teams of dedicated data breach specialists in the country. Among our team, we have a wealth of combined experience and expertise which we use to handle a wide variety of data breach claims.

Our team can work closely with you to establish your personal circumstances and how you may have been affected by the breach. We can then use this to confirm whether you will be in a position to make a claim and how the general claims process works.

We understand that being the victim of a data breach is a stressful and often traumatic experience. That is why we take the time to provide close personal support and take all of the necessary steps to keep the process as straightforward as possible

You can find out more about our expertise and how we handle data breach claims here.

To start a claim, you can use our online claim form.

To speak to a member of our team about the Arnold Clark data breach, please do not hesitate to give us a call on 0330 041 5134.