On 19th May 2020, EasyJet confirmed that it had been the target of a highly sophisticated hack.
All of this information can be used by cybercriminals to commit further crimes.
We have launched a group action against EasyJet. Group actions can be a powerful tool and can have a bigger impact than a single claim.
IF YOU HAVE BEEN AFFECTED BY THE EASYJET DATA BREACH, WE CAN HELP YOU MAKE A NO-WIN, NO-FEE DATA BREACH COMPENSATION CLAIM.
EasyJet knew about the hack in January 2020. But it only warned customers whose credit card details were stolen in early April that year. All other customers were notified by the 26th of May.
Why did EasyJet take so long to tell customers that their data could be in the hands of cybercriminals? Especially as this put them at additional risk.
Our no-win, no-fee group EasyJet action is helping our clients claim compensation after the airline breached their data protection rights. And it’s not too late to join our case (although the clock is ticking!).
In 2020, EasyJet admitted that the personal details of nine million customers and the financial data of over 2,000 passengers were accessed in a sophisticated cyber-attack. At that time, the airline made it clear that it did not want to offer compensation to the vast majority of victims.
This is an all too familiar story following a data breach. But, despite rumours that EasyJet might have offered a settlement to those at “significant financial risk”, we advised those victims to think very carefully before accepting any such offer should it be made. Here’s why…
A personal data breach is theft. And it is understandable that people experience distress at having their personal online data taken. Especially if EasyJet effectively gave the thief the keys.
Find out more about making a group action claim for compensation.
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Following the EasyJet data breach, KP Law launched a group action to help victims of this privacy violation claim compensation. Here’s a guide to the EasyJet data breach to help you find out if you have a claim, and what you need to do to secure justice for the violation of your data protection rights.
On 19 May 2020, EasyJet confirmed that it had been the target of an attack. Affected EasyJet customers had booked flights from 17 October 2019 to 4 March 2020.
EasyJet subsequently apologised for the breach and attempted to reassure customers.
The airline reported itself to the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) and the National Cyber Security Centre.
While EasyJet was the victim of a cyber-attack, it controlled your personal information and had a duty to look after it. If poor security processes allowed the breach to happen – which we believe they did – EasyJet is responsible.
The ICO – which is the UK’s data protection regulator – began investigating the breach. However, the airline escaped a substantial fine after the regulator dropped its investigation into the hack because of its “limited legal and investigative resources”.
The ICO’s decision to discontinue its investigation into the EasyJet breach raises serious concerns about data protection rights in the UK. Not least because the regulator’s decision appears to be as a result of how overstretched it is, rather than the merits of a case which has affected approximately nine million customers. We should all be incredibly concerned if the ICO is so under-resourced that it cannot hold big companies to account for their serious data protection failings.
At KP Law, we are committed to our quest for justice and continue to pursue our case against EasyJet to ensure that the airline is held to account.
A data breach can result in both financial and identity theft. With enough stolen information, cybercriminals can apply for credit in your name, set up fraudulent bank accounts, use your cards to make payments, and access your existing accounts. Criminals also use financial data in scams designed to extract additional information from victims (e.g. banking passwords). And hackers often sell stolen financial data to other criminals for future scams.
Worryingly, CVV numbers, which provide added security against scams, were accessed in this attack. This information is needed to complete any transactions online using a card. Under worldwide Payment Card Industry Data Security Standards (PCI DSS), companies are not allowed to save CVV numbers. This is because it is difficult for a cybercriminal to misuse card information without a CVV if a hack takes place. While EasyJet tried to spin the data breach as having information ‘accessed’ rather than ‘stolen’, the fact that hackers got hold of CVV numbers (along with other data) could be disastrous.
According to Action Fraud, it received several reports following the EasyJet data breach. As of May 2020, there were 51 reports, totalling £11,752.81 in stated losses. One customer lost £2,750 following the cyberattack. The number of reports has likely increased since then.
Even if no money is lost, the impact of a financial data breach can be significant. Many victims suffer from stress, anxiety and distress due to living with the added risk and the extra vigilance needed. Thankfully, over the last few years, people have been waking up to the reality of mental health, and there is a greater awareness of the lasting effects of psychological suffering and anguish.
Six months after the EasyJet data breach, over 50% of all clients signed up to our action had experienced spam attempts that they believed resulted from this breach.
Six months after the EasyJet data breach, 20% of all clients signed up to our action experienced fraudulent transactions or had to cancel their cards to protect themselves from possible fraud attempts.
Six months after the EasyJet data breach, 86% of all clients signed up to our action had suffered some form of personal distress/stress linked to the violation.
On the recommendation of the ICO, EasyJet warned its customers of the risk of phishing. Phishing happens when a fraudster poses as a legitimate organisation, the police, or someone else you trust, to trick you into handing over sensitive information such as usernames, passwords, and financial data.
The impact of a phishing scam can be devastating, and we have seen cases where financial losses only start to occur three to six months later. This is because the data stolen is often used in batches over time. As such, many EasyJet customers affected by this breach are still on their guard.
Our data protection solicitors have listed some helpful links to ensure victims of the EasyJet data breach know where they can turn.
The leading independent victim’s charity in England and Wales for people affected by crime and traumatic incidents.
If you are struggling emotionally after a data breach, you can call the Samaritans free from any phone.
Advice, information, onward referral, and holistic support to people experiencing mental ill-health and drug/alcohol difficulties (which could be exacerbated following the EasyJet hack). The service can also support people who have been a victim of crime.
Victims of online offences such as scams and financial/identity fraud following the EasyJet data hack should contact Action Fraud to report their loss.
A source of unbiased, factual, and easy-to-understand information on online safety with guidance to protect you from fraud, identity theft and abuse.
Impartial advice to help everyone in the UK protect themselves against financial fraud.
While EasyJet admitted the data breach in May 2020*, it knew about it as far back as January that year.
Under the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR), organisations must tell the ICO about a personal data breach within 72 hours. And, if the breach is likely to result in a “high risk of adversely affecting individuals’ rights and freedoms”, organisations must also inform those people without undue delay. So why did EasyJet take four months to warn customers that hackers had accessed their personal information?
EasyJet tried to defend itself by claiming that “there is no evidence that this information has been misused by criminals”. Instead, the airline claimed that the hackers were targeting “company intellectual property”. But EasyJet can’t possibly know the extent of the threat. The bottom line is that millions of people had their private details accessed, which is an undeniable threat.
EasyJet also justified the delay by claiming that it took time to understand the scope of the attack and to identify who had been impacted. This might very well be the case, but if EasyJet cared about the safety of its customers, it could have issued a general warning. An early warning would have allowed people to put additional security measures in place until they knew the full details. By not doing this, EasyJet left millions of people vulnerable for months.
*EasyJet warned people who had their financial data access in early April, but this is still a significant delay.
Following the data breach, the airline made it clear that it did not want to offer compensation to the vast majority of victims. But there were rumours that EasyJet might have offered a settlement to those at “significant financial risk”. We advised those victims to think very carefully before accepting any such offer should it be made.
Often, organisations that have suffered a data breach are more concerned about limiting their exposure to liability than helping victims. So, while they might offer some money to victims, in our experience, they are less concerned about ensuring people are fully reimbursed for the long-term and often psychological effects. Indeed, we often see companies make low compensation offers to get people to accept a small sum and go away, thus preventing group litigation.
In a statement on its website, EasyJet said: “Apart from the very small subset of customers who we have already notified, no credit card details have been impacted. We therefore do not expect there to be any financial loss caused by this incident. We are advising customers to continue to be alert as they would normally be, especially should they receive any unsolicited communications”.
This statement proved that EasyJet did not take responsibility for failing to protect its customers. The airline might think that there was “no evidence that any personal information of any nature has been misused”, but, as we have already established, that is not our experience.
At KP Law, we understand that choosing a data breach solicitor can be daunting. How do you know if it is the right firm for you, and can you be sure that you will not have to pay any unforeseen costs? To make the process a little bit easier, here are some questions you should ask when choosing an EasyJet data breach lawyer.
Some firms are keen to take on data breach cases, but they do not have lawyers who are experts in this field. At KP Law, we have a dedicated team of data protection experts led by Kingsley Hayes – arguably the UK’s foremost data breach solicitor. Furthermore, because we understand the minutiae of data breach law, we know what it takes to make a successful data breach claim.
Many firms will offer their services on a no-win, no-fee basis. In such cases, if you do not win, you do not have to pay a penny. But it is also worth looking at what you will be charged if you win. Because if your claim is successful, you will have to contribute towards your EasyJet data breach lawyer’s costs. This ‘success fee’ is taken from the compensation awarded to you, and in some cases, it can be much higher than you expected. Our success fee is one of the most competitive around, and there are no hidden fees or admin charges. We also take out insurance to protect our clients from any legal costs.
A group action allows people to bring their claims together to strengthen their overall position and increase their chances of success. As such, we believe that a group action is the best way to claim EasyJet compensation.
Several UK firms have knowledge of multi-claimant litigation, but it is worth checking to see if they have specifically managed multiple data breach group actions. Because when it comes to winning cases, understanding the law is only half the battle; you also need experience.
At KP Law, we are currently managing several significant data breach group actions. And we have secured settlements against big players such as British Airways and Ticketmaster.
Data breach and cybercrime are relatively new and evolving areas of law, so it can be difficult to find specialist EasyJet data breach lawyers. Over the past few years, our data breach solicitors have been at the forefront of data breach legal services. And, because we have been doing this for longer than most, we lead our field when it comes to understanding the complexities involved.
When it comes to legal support, large organisations are smarter and better resourced than ever before. And it can be difficult for some law firms to stand up to such strength when representing clients after a data breach. At KP Law, we have the legal expertise and resources necessary to take on corporate giants with deep pockets. We support thousands of multi-claimant and group-action clients, and we can do the same for you.
To join our action, all you need is notification from EasyJet informing you that you were involved in the breach. EasyJet emailed this notification between April and July 2020. But, as well as confirmation that you were involved in the EasyJet data breach, we will also ask you for some other evidence to ensure we make the strongest possible claim on your behalf.
Many of our clients have seen a rise in attempted phishing scams since the EasyJet data hack. If you have experienced phishing, or other scam attempts, that you believe are linked to this data breach, please make a note of these, and keep any evidence.
If you have experienced any financial loss because of this data breach, please make a note of this and keep any evidence (e.g. bank statements, correspondence, etc.). Even if your financial data wasn’t breached, you could still have lost money if a phishing scammer has used your personal data against you.
If you have experienced emotional distress because of this data breach, please make a note of this and keep any evidence (e.g. details about medical appointments/prescriptions that relate to this data breach).
Following a data breach, people often have to spend a significant amount of time on the phone with their bank and credit reference agencies. Sometimes, there are travel costs and medical expenses required. And it might be possible to add these to your claim.
It is not unusual that – on reviewing a data breach impact form – we uncover information that allows us to increase the value of a claim significantly. What might seem irrelevant to you could make a massive difference in the eyes of the law. So please keep a hold of anything that might be useful.
See our answers to the FAQs we get asked about the EasyJet Data Breach.
On 19th May 2020, EasyJet confirmed that it had been the target of an attack from a highly sophisticated source.
The information included in the EasyJet data breach includes:
*Travel details are those details that you input when booking a flight or holiday, such as your name, email address, origin airport and your destination, and departure date.
Those involved booked flights from 17 October 2019 to 4 March 2020.
EasyJet reported itself to the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) and the National Cyber Security Centre. However, there was a significant delay before the airline told customers that their information was in the hands of cybercriminals.
While EasyJet was the victim of a cyber-attack, it is the one who controlled your personal information. If poor security processes allowed the breach to happen, EasyJet is responsible.
While the ICO launched an investigation into the breach, in August 2023 it closed this investigation because of “limited legal and investigative resources”. At KP Law, we are committed to our quest for justice and continue to pursue our case against EasyJet to ensure that the airline is held to account.
Under current data protection legislation, EasyJet must inform everyone who is affected by this data breach. It is understood that customers involved in the EasyJet data breach will have been notified no later than the 26th of May. Everyone who had their financial information hacked was informed in early April. If you have been a customer of EasyJet, we advise you to keep an eye out for this communication (and check your spam folder in case it was directed there).
Register via our online form for further advice about what to do. We will keep your details (securely of course!) and add you to our list of claimants.
In 2020, we would expect any large business to have insurance in place to protect itself against cyberattacks and data breaches. Let’s face it, there are very few companies that don’t face cyber risk in this day and age. So EasyJet should be able to compensate victims properly.
If you have been a part of this breach you should have been contacted by EasyJet by 26th May 2020. Everyone who receives this confirmation can make a data breach claim.
Register with us ASAP. This guarantees that you will form part of the compensation claims that will be lodged by us. There are strict time limits in place for making data breach claims, so it’s important to act now.
To make the strongest possible claim on your behalf, we always ask for evidence to support your claim. This could include things like:
We would also seek confirmation that, as far as you are aware, your information was not put at risk by another data breach.
Please make sure you keep all supporting documents safe as these may be required at a later date.
We are running the EasyJet group action on a no-win, no-fee basis.
While each case is judged on its own merits, there are some things we would typically look for when it comes to when claiming compensation following a data breach, cybercrime or other GDPR violation:
With stolen data, cybercriminals can make purchases using your bank and credit cards, apply for credit in your name, set up fraudulent bank accounts and access your existing online accounts.
GDPR failures, cybercrime and data breaches can have a significant impact on you, both mentally and physically. They can cause or exacerbate anxiety, stress and other psychological conditions.
KP Law has some of the most skilled data breach lawyers in England and Wales. Here are just some of our success stories.
KP Law is a founding member of the Collective Redress Lawyers Association (CORLA). CORLA aims to improve access to justice for claimants by way of collective redress.
