In the early hours of January 8, 2025, Gateshead Council was targeted by a cyberattack. Investigations have revealed that some personal data was accessed by unauthorised individuals.

The Medusa ransomware group claimed responsibility for the attack. They demanded a ransom of $600,000 to delete the stolen data, threatening to release it publicly if their demands were not met.

The specific details of the compromised data have not been fully disclosed. However, it has been reported that the stolen information includes personal identifiers such as full names, email addresses, phone numbers, home addresses, and employment histories. Both residents and public sector staff appear to be affected by the leak.

If you think your data was compromised you should:

• Be vigilant for phishing emails or fraudulent activity.
• Use strong, unique passwords and change them if you suspect any compromise.
• Be cautious when sharing personal information.

Our simple eligibility checker provides instant clarity. Answer a few straightforward questions, and you’ll know if you could qualify for a Gateshead Council data breach group action claim.

We cannot say how much compensation you might get if you win your data breach case. Each claim is based on its merits and your solicitor will work to get the compensation owed to you.

In the UK, if a group of people have experienced loss, or otherwise been harmed by an organisation’s law breaking, they can come together to fight for justice. Levelling the playing field when standing up to big businesses, group actions prove that there is strength in numbers. At Join the Claim, we bring consumers and law firms together to ensure these group actions are as powerful as possible. 

We won’t charge you a single penny. And we ensure any law firms we connect you with operate on a no-win-no-fee basis. If you win, the law firm will either take its fees from your compensation payment or recover these from the defendants.