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Confidential Information Compromised in Multiple UK School Data Breaches

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14 schools across the UK have been subject to substantial cyber attacks, resulting in the loss of highly confidential data and documents.

This data has subsequently been leaked on the dark web by the hackers responsible for the attacks, a cyber gang known as Vice Society. The gang have been behind a string of cyber attacks and have been under investigation by the FBI.

With previous attacks made by Vice Society, the group has made demands for money before leaking the data they have stolen when payment is not made.

A list of schools attacked by Vice Society has been discovered by the BBC on Vice Society’s website. These schools are:

  • Pilton Community College, Barnstaple
  • Carmel College, St Helens
  • Pates Grammar School, Gloucestershire
  • Durham Johnston Comprehensive School
  • Frances King School of English, London/Dublin
  • Gateway College, Hamilton, Leicester
  • Holy Family RC + CE College, Heywood
  • Lampton School, Hounslow, London
  • Mossbourne Federation, London
  • Samuel Ryder Academy, St Albans
  • School of Oriental and African Studies, London
  • St Paul's Catholic College, Sunbury-on-Thames
  • Test Valley School, Stockbridge
  • The De Montfort School, Evesham

It is suspected that the data breaches on these schools took place in 2022.

Data belonging to Pates Grammar School in Gloucester that is said to have been breached includes passport scans for pupils and parents dating back to 2011, as well as contractual offers made to staff. Additional data contains documents containing information on the school’s headmaster’s pay and student bursary fund receipts.

If your or your child’s data has been compromised as a part of the attacks on the listed schools, you may be in a position to claim compensation.

At Hayes Connor, our team of data breach solicitors are ready to provide expert advice and support for anyone who has been affected by the school data breaches. To find out more about how you can make a data breach claim, please get in touch.

What to do if you are concerned about the UK schools data breaches

If your data or your child’s data, has been compromised, the school that stored the data should have been in touch to inform you that this is the case. If you have not been contacted and you are concerned that you may have been affected by the data breaches, it is important that you get in touch with the school as soon as possible.

In these situations, you should also be wary of any unexpected communications, especially if these appear to come from the school. These could be ‘phishing’ attacks which are designed to extract further information from you.

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

If your or your child’s, data has been exposed in the UK schools data breaches, you may be in a position to claim compensation. This is something the team at Hayes Connor can help with.

How Hayes Connor can help you claim compensation for the UK schools data breaches

Any organisation that stores your personal data has an obligation to keep it secure. This means that, if an organisation fails to fulfil said obligation, anyone who has been affected could make a claim for compensation.

At Hayes Connor, we have one of the largest teams of dedicated data breach specialists in the country. We have a wealth of combined experience in handling various types of data breach claims, including those relating to schools and educational organisations.

We can work alongside you to discuss your personal circumstances in detail and confirm whether you are in a position to make a claim, in addition to explaining how the general claims process works.

We understand that being involved in a data breach can be an extremely distressing experience. As such, we take the time to provide close personal support during the claims process and take the necessary steps to keep everything 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 UK schools data breaches, please do not hesitate to give us a call on 0330 041 5138.