Finnish court orders higher compensation for some Vastaamo data breach victims

A Finnish court has increased the compensation awarded to some victims of the Vastaamo data breach, a significant ruling that could reshape how the state compensates those affected by the massive cyberattack. The Insurance Court ordered the State Treasury to pay higher damages to a portion of the victims whose sensitive therapy data was compromised.

Lawyers Paula Pajula and Jenni Raiskio, representing approximately 6,500 of the over 30,000 victims, appealed the State Treasury's initial compensation decisions to the Insurance Court. They categorized victims into five tiers based on the type of personal information stolen and the nature of the subsequent blackmail attempts. The lowest tier involved only personal data, while the highest and most severe tier included highly sensitive therapy records.

Previously, the State Treasury had offered compensation ranging from 500 euros for less severe cases to 1,500 euros for the most serious ones. However, the Insurance Court's decision mandates an increase, awarding 1,000 euros instead of 500 and 2,000 euros instead of 1,500 euros for the highest tiers. Compensation amounts for intermediate categories remained unchanged.

Pajula and Raiskio believe this ruling provides a clear basis for the State Treasury to adjust its compensation policy for all Vastaamo victims. "We absolutely believe so. A single decision concerns an individual client, but from it, one plus one equals two, meaning this decision concerns this group as a whole," Pajula stated. They are also pushing for revisions to decisions already made.

Despite the ruling, State Treasury lawyer Virva Vesanen stressed that each compensation claim is handled individually. She noted that the court's decisions are still being evaluated for their broader impact on future payouts and that the rulings only affect the specific cases brought before them, not retroactively altering decisions already issued to other individuals. To date, the State Treasury has processed around 980 claims related to the Vastaamo incident, with the highest compensation paid being 1,500 euros. Pajula and Raiskio are prepared to take further cases to the Insurance Court if compensation amounts do not align with the court's recent decisions. They are currently submitting applications for approximately 3,000 additional clients after observing the outcomes of earlier court cases. The lawyers have pledged to work pro bono for the victims, with legal costs potentially covered by insurance.

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We absolutely believe so. A single decision concerns an individual client, but from it, one plus one equals two, meaning this decision concerns this group as a whole.