Harley Medical Group Data Breach (2014)

Harley Medical Group, a British plastic and cosmetic surgery company based in Thames Ditton, Surrey, has suffered a data breach in which the details of 480,000 individuals have been compromised. The attackers have reportedly attempted to blackmail the company. According to The Guardian, hackers gained access to the names, addresses and phone numbers of individuals who have entered their information in the initial inquiry form on the companys website. The form is used by people who are considering various procedures like tummy tucks, liposuction and breast enlargement. Fortunately, no medical or financial information has been accessed by the cybercriminals. Impacted individuals have been notified. A report has also been filed with the Information Commissioners Office and the police. Harley Medical Group representatives have told The Guardian that they took measures as soon as they learned of the breach. The company says the attackers were trying to blackmail them. Additional security measures have been put in place to prevent future incidents. The ICO has confirmed that it has been made aware of the incident, and says that an investigation has been launched. The agency will decide if any action must be taken against the Harley Medical Group for the data breach.