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UK’s Capita fined £14 million over 2023 cyber breach affecting 6.7 million people

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Capita has been fined £14 million ($18.7 million) by the UK Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) for failing to protect personal data during a 2023 cyberattack that compromised information belonging to 6.7 million individuals, the outsourcing firm said on Wednesday.

The company, which provides services to UK government departments and major corporations, said the fine was part of a settlement with the ICO. Capita had previously estimated that the breach could cost up to £20 million in financial damages.

The ICO report found that Capita failed to maintain adequate network protections, allowing unauthorized access and privilege escalation, and did not respond properly to early security alerts. The regulator said the case underscored the growing pressure on British companies to strengthen cyber defenses following major breaches at Marks & Spencer, Co-op, and Jaguar Land Rover.

“With so many cyber attacks in the headlines, our message is clear: every organization, no matter how large, must take proactive steps to keep people’s data secure,” said John Edwards, the UK’s Information Commissioner.

Capita said it has since introduced advanced cybersecurity measures and completed an internal overhaul of its digital infrastructure. “Following an extended period of dialogue with the ICO, we are pleased to have concluded this matter,” said CEO Adolfo Hernandez.

The firm expects a free cash outflow of £59 million–£79 million in 2025, up from previous guidance of £45 million–£65 million, but noted that all other financial targets remain unchanged.

According to the National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC), the number of “highly significant” cyber incidents in Britain has doubled year-on-year, reflecting growing systemic risks across the public and private sectors.

Qantas Confirms Customer Data Released by Hackers Months After Cyber Breach

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Australia’s national airline, Qantas Airways, has confirmed that customer data stolen during a July cyberattack has now been released online by cybercriminals. The airline said it was one of several companies targeted globally in the breach, which compromised the personal information of millions of passengers.

In the July incident, Qantas revealed that over one million customers had sensitive data — including phone numbers, dates of birth, and home addresses — accessed by hackers. An additional four million customers had their names and email addresses stolen, marking one of the largest data breaches in Australia’s recent history.

Qantas said the data was stolen through a third-party platform and has since been published by the hacker group known as Scattered Lapsus$ Hunters after the company missed a ransom deadline. “With the help of specialist cybersecurity experts, we are investigating what data was part of the release,” Qantas said in a statement.

The airline also confirmed that an injunction remains in place to prevent the use or further distribution of the stolen information. The July attack is among the most serious since cyber incidents targeting telecom firm Optus and health insurer Medibank in 2022, which led to tighter cybersecurity laws in Australia.

Vertu Motors warns of $7.4 million profit hit after JLR cyberattack

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Vertu Motors said it expects up to a 5.5 million-pound ($7.4 million) impact on annual profit following the Jaguar Land Rover (JLR) cyberattack that disrupted operations for nearly six weeks. The British car dealer’s shares fell 3.5% in early trading after the announcement.

JLR, owned by India’s Tata Motors, began restarting its systems this week after the incident crippled parts of its network. Vertu, which operates 10 JLR dealerships across the UK, said about 2 million pounds of the loss occurred in September, and the total effect will depend on how quickly JLR fully restores operations.

“We’re working with our insurers to assess a possible claim under our policy, which covers third-party system outages,” said CEO Robert Forrester.

Vertu noted that, excluding the cyberattack’s impact, it still expects annual pretax profit to align with market forecasts of around 27.2 million pounds. For the six months ending August 31, adjusted profit before tax stood at 20 million pounds, a nearly 10% decline from the previous year.

The incident highlights the growing financial risks of cybersecurity failures in the automotive industry, where interconnected supply chains leave dealerships and manufacturers increasingly exposed.