\n<\/p>\n
The UK’s data watchdog has fined outsourcing firm Capita \u00a314m after the personal data of 6.6 million people was stolen in a cyber-attack.<\/p>\n
The Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) said Capita “failed to ensure the security of processing of personal data which left it at significant risk”.<\/p>\n
The fine was originally set at \u00a345m but reduced after discussions between Capita and the watchdog.<\/p>\n
Capita’s boss Adolfo Hernandez said the firm was “pleased to have concluded this matter and reached today’s settlement”.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n
He said the company had “hugely strengthened” its cyber-security resilience and was vigilant.<\/p>\n
Capita provides professional and outsourcing services in a number of different fields for the public and private sectors. <\/p>\n
It made \u00a32.4bn in revenue last year, according to its latest annual report.<\/p>\n
After the hack in March 2023, it emerged Capita had left a pool of data unsecured online<\/a>.<\/p>\n Information apparently containing Capita data – including home addresses and passport images – began to circulate on the dark web<\/a>.<\/p>\n The ICO said financial data had been stolen, and in some cases details of criminal records had been hacked.<\/p>\n Capita also manages administration for more than 600 pension schemes, and 325 of them were affected.<\/p>\n “Capita failed in its duty to protect the data entrusted to it by millions of people,” said Information Commissioner John Edwards. <\/p>\n “The scale of this breach and its impact could have been prevented had sufficient security measures been in place.”<\/p>\n The proposed \u00a345m fine was taken down to \u00a314m after Capita argued it had made improvements to its cyber-security, offered support for people affected and engaged with other regulators and the National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC). <\/p>\n “Companies being held financially accountable for data protection failings is a good thing,” said Trevor Dearing from cyber-security company Illumio.<\/p>\n “It sends a message to the market that regulators are serious and tells victims that their stolen data does matter.”<\/p>\n<\/div>\n Earlier this year, retailer Co-op was hit by a hack where the details of all of its roughly 6.5m customers was stolen<\/a>.<\/p>\n This came among other high-profile cyber-attacks to M&S, Harrods and Jaguar Land Rover.<\/p>\n On Tuesday, the NCSC confirmed there had been an increase in nationally significant attacks this year. <\/p>\n It came as the government wrote to bosses around the country advising them to have their contingency plans written down on paper, in case they lose access to their computers in a hack.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n