TABLE OF CONTENT
The Mental Health Impact of Data Breaches
Organisations must take cybersecurity measures to prevent data breach, mental health affects pretty badly. Issues that it may lead to include:
- Anxiety
- Depression
- Fear of being online
- Workplace stress
- Suicidal thoughts
What is a data breach?
A data breach refers to the compromising of someone’s personal information. This usually happens when that information is lost, altered, mistakenly destroyed, or unlawfully revealed.
The Cybersecurity Breaches Survey 2024 conducted by the UK government. Here are some key findings:
Approximately 50% of businesses and 32% of charities reported experiencing some form of cyber security breach or attack in the last 12 months.
The most common type of breach is phishing, affecting 84% of businesses and 83% of charities.
Other common incidents include impersonation in emails or online (35% of businesses, 37% of charities) and viruses/malware (17% of businesses, 14% of charities).
Personal information includes any details that can be used for your identification, such as:
- Name
- Address
- Phone number
- Bank details
- Medical records
- Demographics
- Sexual orientation
Three Ways Data Breaches Impact Mental Health
Feelings of insecurity and disrespect are the top psychological effects of data breaches. These effects can interfere with your self-confidence.
‘‘Data breaches are an increasingly common part of consumers’ lives. No institution is immune to the possibility of an attack. Each breach inevitably risks the release of consumers’ personally identifiable information and the strong possibility of identity theft.’’
Daniel J. Marcus
The three most common mental health issues associated with data breaches are as follows:
Social Anxiety
A data breach can cause a person to become overly sensitive to social interactions. Symptoms of social anxiety include:
- Blushing
- Sweating
- Trembling
- Nausea
- Many others
Emotional Distress
The emotional impact of data breach can be severe. It may result in:
- Acute Stress Disorder (ASD)
- Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD)
These problems can negatively affect your relationships and job performance.
Depressive Disorder
The impact of data breaches can cause big disruptions to life. For example, it may lead you to relocate or lose your job. These disruptions cause or worsen:
- Depression
- Long-term anxiety
- Stress
Amount of Damage Caused by a Data Breach
The degree of mental health impact a cybersecurity breach can bring can vary from case to case.
Third parties might fail to protect your data. This can worsen existing mental health conditions, leading to:
- Major depressive disorder (MDD)
- Persistent anxiety
- Panic attacks
- ASD
- PTSD
Problems with mental health after data breach can also affect your work performance. In that case, a personal injury expert can help you get compensation for your work-related losses.
Seeking Compensation for Data Breaches
If a data breach has caused you distress, consulting a legal expert is crucial.
A personal data breach is a security incident that occurs at a company. It compromises the secrecy, accessibility, or integrity of your personal data. To make a claim, the breach must meet the following criteria:
- It must involve your personal data.
- It must be caused by improper actions of the data controller or processor.
- It must result in financial or psychological pain and suffering.
Final Thoughts
After experiencing a data breach, mental health institutions must address issues that may take a long time to recover from.
Also, you can always choose to make a claim that can get money for your troubles.
A key requirement for making a claim is that the breach must cause physical, emotional, or financial harm. This includes data breach trauma worsening existing mental health conditions or developing new ones.
At Concise Medico, our team is ready to assist you if a data breach has worsened your mental health issues. Speak with an expert witness today to learn more about your eligibility for a claim.
The Mental Health Impact of Data Breaches
Organisations must take cybersecurity measures to prevent data breach, mental health affects pretty badly. Issues that it may lead to include:
- Anxiety
- Depression
- Fear of being online
- Workplace stress
- Suicidal thoughts
What is a data breach?
A data breach refers to the compromising of someone’s personal information. This usually happens when that information is lost, altered, mistakenly destroyed, or unlawfully revealed.
The Cybersecurity Breaches Survey 2024 conducted by the UK government. Here are some key findings:
Approximately 50% of businesses and 32% of charities reported experiencing some form of cyber security breach or attack in the last 12 months.
The most common type of breach is phishing, affecting 84% of businesses and 83% of charities.
Other common incidents include impersonation in emails or online (35% of businesses, 37% of charities) and viruses/malware (17% of businesses, 14% of charities).
Personal information includes any details that can be used for your identification, such as:
- Name
- Address
- Phone number
- Bank details
- Medical records
- Demographics
- Sexual orientation
Three Ways Data Breaches Impact Mental Health
Feelings of insecurity and disrespect are the top psychological effects of data breaches. These effects can interfere with your self-confidence.
‘‘Data breaches are an increasingly common part of consumers’ lives. No institution is immune to the possibility of an attack. Each breach inevitably risks the release of consumers’ personally identifiable information and the strong possibility of identity theft.’’
Daniel J. Marcus
The three most common mental health issues associated with data breaches are as follows:
Social Anxiety
A data breach can cause a person to become overly sensitive to social interactions. Symptoms of social anxiety include:
- Blushing
- Sweating
- Trembling
- Nausea
- Many others
Emotional Distress
The emotional impact of data breach can be severe. It may result in:
- Acute Stress Disorder (ASD)
- Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD)
These problems can negatively affect your relationships and job performance.
Depressive Disorder
The impact of data breaches can cause big disruptions to life. For example, it may lead you to relocate or lose your job. These disruptions cause or worsen:
- Depression
- Long-term anxiety
- Stress
Amount of Damage Caused by a Data Breach
The degree of mental health impact a cybersecurity breach can bring can vary from case to case.
Third parties might fail to protect your data. This can worsen existing mental health conditions, leading to:
- Major depressive disorder (MDD)
- Persistent anxiety
- Panic attacks
- ASD
- PTSD
Problems with mental health after data breach can also affect your work performance. In that case, a personal injury expert can help you get compensation for your work-related losses.
Seeking Compensation for Data Breaches
If a data breach has caused you distress, consulting a legal expert is crucial.
A personal data breach is a security incident that occurs at a company. It compromises the secrecy, accessibility, or integrity of your personal data. To make a claim, the breach must meet the following criteria:
- It must involve your personal data.
- It must be caused by improper actions of the data controller or processor.
- It must result in financial or psychological pain and suffering.
Final Thoughts
After experiencing a data breach, mental health institutions must address issues that may take a long time to recover from.
Also, you can always choose to make a claim that can get money for your troubles.
A key requirement for making a claim is that the breach must cause physical, emotional, or financial harm. This includes data breach trauma worsening existing mental health conditions or developing new ones.
At Concise Medico, our team is ready to assist you if a data breach has worsened your mental health issues. Speak with an expert witness today to learn more about your eligibility for a claim.
