Digital security | Home working propels breaches of employee data to 6 year high

Breaches of employee data rose to the highest level in at least six years, jumping by 14 per cent in 2024 alone, according to an analysis by law firm Nockolds.

According to Nockolds, reports to the Information Commissioner's Office (ICO) of breaches of employee data jumped from 3,208 in 2023 to 3,679 in 2024. The number of reported breaches relating to employees’ data is at the highest level since at least 2019 when 3,010 breaches were reported to the ICO.

 The analysis by Nockolds also reveals that phishing attacks targeting employee data jumped by 56 per cent over the past year, from 486 to 758. Phishing is a type of cyberattack in which attackers target employee data by impersonating legitimate sources like HR or IT to trick employees into revealing sensitive information, login credentials, or clicking malicious links.

Nockolds explains that hackers often target employers as they hold a huge amount of valuable, sensitive data on their employees. Employers may be in breach of contract if they pay staff late, and face claims for loss of data, which makes them vulnerable to phishing attacks.