Red Cross Data Breach
The Lyon Firm is investigating the Red Cross data breach on behalf of victims nationwide. Our data privacy attorneys are actively involved in a wide variety of data theft cases, and offer free and confidential consultations. Contact us to seek justice and compensation.
The Red Cross announced that data of over 515,000 vulnerable people has been compromised as the result of a recent cyberattack. The Red Cross says the attack targeted a third-party company in Switzerland contracted to store data.
Some of the exposed personally identifiable information allegedly belongs to missing persons, people separated from their families, and those currently in detention.
The personal data in question originated from at least 60 Red Cross entities around the world. The Red Cross has appealed to the hackers to not misuse the data, as it would cause additional stress to the victims.
The exposed data of the humanitarian organization underscores how vulnerable companies, organizations, NGOs and municipalities can be, and the importance of properly protecting any personal information that is collected and stored.
Cyberattacks and cyber criminals have not given charity and relief organizations data breach amnesty. The Red Cross, which employs at least 20,000 people globally, is just another target, and one that potentially stores the data of hundreds of thousands of staff and other individuals.
Although there is no indication of motivation yet in the Red Cross data breach, money is typically the ultimate end game. Whether its a ransomware attack or a hacker who aims to sell the data to other fraudsters, data theft is a lucrative endeavor that is only worsening.
The Red Cross, which openly advocates data protection, is yet another victim scrambling to deal with the fallout of leaked personal data. This particular data breach is quite sizable, and it’s unclear the exact detailed information that may have been leaked.
Ironically, the Red Cross works with other humanitarian organizations to safely process personal data, apply data protection standards, raises privacy awareness and provides guidance on the interpretation of data protection principles.
Obviously, there are calls for stronger data prevention and for more accountability for security incidents. Even though charities and NGOs do a great deal of good for individuals around the world, they are still urged to adhere to data security protocols.
The Lyon Firm encourages all potentially affected individuals to act quickly and remain vigilant against potential identity theft and fraud by reviewing account statements and credit reports. Contact a privacy attorney to review your data breach case.