Capita fined £14m over stolen personal data after 2023 cyberattack

UK outsourcing giant Capita has been fined £14m over stolen personal information of 6.6 million people, caused by data protection failure in a massive cyberattack.

As per data watchdog, March 2023 data breach exposed personal details about staff and clients’ customers, causing great anxiety among the affected groups.

During the malicious cyber attack, Capita identified a threat within 10 minutes but failed to shut down the device, resulting in the exploitation of data. Hackers stole almost one terabyte of data and reset all user passwords, thereby locking Capita staff.

According to the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO), “Capita failed to ensure the security of processing of personal data which left it at significant risk.”

“The scale of this breach and its impact could have been prevented had sufficient security measures been in place,” the statement read.

Originally, the fine was £45 million but it was reduced to £14m after a series of discussions between outsourcing giant and the watchdog.

The sum of £14m includes £8m fine for Capita and £6m for its Capita Pension Solutions.

Adolfo Hernandez, Capita’s boss, issued a statement, saying “the firm was pleased to have concluded this matter and reached today’s settlement.”

Capita is known for offering professional and outsourcing services related to different fields for both private and public sectors.

According to the latest annual report, the firm generated around £2.4bn revenue last year.

During the malicious cyber attack, Capita identified a threat within 10 minutes but failed to shut down the device, resulting in the exploitation of data. Hackers stole almost one terabyte of data and reset all user passwords, thereby locking Capita staff.