How to Legally Handle a Ransomware Attack or Data Breach
Introduction Stop me if this sounds familiar: you open your laptop on a Monday morning, ready to start the week, only to find every file on your system locked. A message flashes on your screen — “Your data has been encrypted. Pay £50,000 in Bitcoin to get it back.” Your stomach drops. You don’t know whether to call the police, your IT provider, or your lawyer first. Every minute that passes feels like money and trust slipping through your fingers. If that’s you right now, take a breath. You’re not the first business to face this, and you won’t be the last. The truth is, how you handle the next 72 hours will determine not only whether your data can be recovered, but also whether you stay on the right side of the law. As a data protection lawyer who’s helped companies through ransomware attacks and data breaches, I’ve seen two outcomes: businesses that act fast and legally survive with their reputation intact — and those that panic, make uninformed decisions, and end up facing...