Spikes in retail data breaches in the run up to Christmas

As we are now in December, our shopping habits are bound to increase in the run up to Christmas, so now is the time to remind people about spikes in retail data breaches at this time of the year.

Not only can this apply for people needing to make sure that they are safe when shopping online, but it can also apply for the time of the year being perfect for scammers to exploit. This is the time of year when retail businesses are usually busier, and when there may often be a lot of traffic on websites. It can be the perfect time for hackers to exploit businesses, and any lapses in security could come back to haunt.

Whilst it may be the most wonderful time of the year, it can also be one of the most vulnerable times of the year when it comes to data protection and cybersecurity.

Expect spikes in retail data breaches

Although we cannot say for certain, it is wise to expect potential spikes in retail data breaches at this time of the year. With higher traffic and people spending more online, especially with the Covid-19 Pandemic still ongoing, the time can be ripe for hackers to exploit.

And with Covid cases over the last few months on the rise, more and more people may have had to take the online option out of necessity.

Businesses need to be wary and make sure that they are properly protected. Shoppers need to take extra care and be vigilant for fake websites and emails offering amazing deals that may take them to spoof websites. There usually are a lot of offers around this time of year, and some genuine offers may feel too good to be true but may actually be real. It can be hard to tell what is real, but shoppers must be wary of any emails, texts and calls they receive with offers. It can always be better to go direct to the retailer and not follow any links on emails that may look legit but could be scammers.

What to do as a victim of a retail data breach

If you end up being the victim of a data breach, whether it is one from any spikes in retail data breaches or generally, you may have options for legal help.

Nowadays, you could be entitled to pursue a claim for data breach compensation. This could succeed where we can prove that someone, usually an organisation, has been negligent. If their negligence has resulted in your right to privacy being abused, or your information being exposed or misused, that is when you may have a claim.

In the retail setting, this will usually be claiming data breach compensation as the victim of a retailer losing or exposing your data. This could be from them falling victim to a cyberattack where they did not do enough to protect your information.

No Win, No Fee legal representation

Been the victim of a privacy exposure event, whether from spikes in retail data breaches over the festive period, or generally?

We may be able to help you.

If we consider that you have a legitimate data breach compensation claim to make, and we think that we can win your case, we may be able to represent you for a legal case on a No Win, No Fee basis. You can read more about this here, and make sure to contact our team for help and advice now.