UK fines British Airways for failures in 2018 data hack

Retired British Airways Boeing 747-400 parked at Cotsworld Airport in Kemble, England, Sunday, Oct. 11, 2020. The retirement of the Jumbo Jet fleet was brought forward as a result of the impact the COVID-19 pandemic had on the airline and the aviation sector. (AP Photo/Frank Augstein) (Frank Augstein, Copyright 2020 The Associated Press. All rights reserved)

LONDON – Britain’s information commissioner has fined British Airways 20 million pounds ($25 million) for failing to protect personal data for some 400,000 customers, the largest fine the agency has ever issued.

The ICO said in a statement Friday that the airline was processing personal data without adequate security measures. It also noted that it did not detect a 2018 cyber attack for two months.

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Information Commissioner Elizabeth Denham said says BA’s “failure to act was unacceptable and affected hundreds of thousands of people, which may have caused some anxiety and distress as a result.’’

Under the European Union's General Data Protection Rules imposed in 2018, organizations face fines of up to 20 million euros ($23 million) or 4% of annual global turnover — whichever is greater — for the most serious violations.


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