Greencore Group PLC suffer data breach following ‘IT incident’
Greencore Group PLC, one of the UK’s leading manufacturers of convenience foods, have contacted current and former employees to provide details about a recent data breach, following what they have described as an ‘IT Incident’.
According to the letter sent out in February 2022, Greencore claim to have experienced IT disruption to a part of their network on 12 December 2021. It was discovered that the disruption was caused by an unauthorised third-party gaining access to their systems.
When the incident was stopped by Greencore’s security team, those responsible for the cyber-attack were able to access a number of internal business documents which contained information about their current and former employees.
It is claimed that the data compromised in the breach included standard HR or employment information, such as details about an individual’s role at Greencore, as well as salary, absence and holiday. In addition to this, personal data such as names, contact information, bank account details, national insurance numbers, passport numbers and dates or birth were also exposed.
While Greencore claim that there is no evidence to suggest this data has been misused, there is no way to tell for absolute certain that this is the case or won’t continue to be the case moving forwards.
Greencore employs over 13,000 people across 35 locations in the UK and Ireland, so the number of people impacted by this data breach is likely to be significant.
Currently, our team of experts are working with over 130 individuals who have been affected by the Greencore data breach and are receiving new enquiries on an almost daily basis.
Hayes Connor Legal Director Christine Sabino has commented on the incident, saying:
“The information we have received is hugely concerning and further answers are clearly needed.
“Greencore claims there is no evidence that data has been misused, but there is no way to tell for certain that this is the case. No guarantees can be provided about the future either.
“This company employs thousands of people across a range of sites, but no real indication has been provided on how many have been affected. While we have heard first-hand from a number of people worried by these developments, there will likely be many more who are also concerned about what has happened.
“Employers have a duty to ensure that incredibly sensitive information is kept safe and secure, so this type of incident warrants a significant investigation. We have started to make our own enquiries into the case and are determined to ensure that our clients get the answers and justice they deserve.”
There has been widespread press coverage of the Greencore data breach, with Hayes Connor featuring in various publications, including:
- Worksop Guardian
- Food Manufacture
- Northampton Chronicle
- Northern Echo: Pg 45 17/03/2022
- My Newtown: Food depot staff involved in data breach legal action and Food bosses respond to staff data breach action
- Welwyn Hatfield Times
- Warrington Guardian: Pg 29 24/03/2022
- Southern Daily Echo: Pg 16 17/03/2022
- Dundee Evening Telegraph: Pg 4 17/03/2022
- Courier and Advertiser
- Tech Monitor
- Crosby Champion
- Peterborough Today
- Yahoo News
- Durham Advertiser: Pg 6 17/03/2022
- Romsey Advertiser
- Hampshire Chronicle
- Business Insurance
- Chester Standard
- National Cyber Sec News
- Silicon Scotland
- Sittingbourne News Extra: Pg 2 23/03/2022
- North Liverpool Champion: Pg 6 23/03/2022
If you have been contacted by Greencore to inform you that your data has been exposed in the breach, or if you have strong reason to believe that this is the case, you will likely have grounds to make a compensation claim.
The team at Hayes Connor and ready and willing to advise anyone who has been affected by the Greencore data breach. To find out more about how we can help you, please get in touch today.
What to do if you are concerned about the Greencore data breach
If you were affected by the Greencore data breach, the company should have already been in touch to inform you that this is the case. However, if you have not been contacted and you have sufficient reason to believe that your data has been compromised, you should get in touch with them as soon as possible.
It is imperative that you remain vigilant of any unexpected communications, such as emails or text messages, particularly if they appear to have come from someone representing Greencore. This could be ‘phishing attacks’ which are specifically designed to extract further personal information from you.
There are several ways you can reduce the risk of cybercriminals using your personal data against you. For more on this, please read our helpful guide on what to do if your data has been stolen in a data breach.
If your data has been exposed in the Greencore data breach, you may be in a position to claim compensation. This is something the team at Hayes Connor can help you with.
How Hayes Connor can help you claim compensation for the Greencore data breach
Any company that stores your personal data, no matter what that data may be, has a legal obligation to keep it secure. This means, if they fail to uphold this obligation, anyone who is affected may be able to make a compensation claim.
Hayes Connor has one of the largest teams of dedicated data breach specialists in the country. We have a wealth of combined expertise in handling data breach claims and are perfectly placed to guide you through all the steps you need to take to bring forward a claim.
We understand how stressful and worrying it can be to lose your personal data. For that reason, we also make sure to provide you with close personal support throughout the claims process, as well as making sure that everything is kept 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 Parasol breach, please do not hesitate to give us a call on 0330 041 5134.
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