Capita’s Costly Comedy of Errors: A £14M Lesson in Cybersecurity Blunders
Capita won’t appeal a £14m penalty for security failings in a 2023 data breach affecting 7 million people. Initially facing a £45m fine, Capita’s post-breach improvements earned a discount. The breach involved a malware mishap, slow response, and ransomware chaos, highlighting Capita’s comedy of errors in cybersecurity.
Hot Take:
Capita’s data breach saga reads like a cybersecurity “what not to do” manual. By not appealing the £14 million penalty, it seems they finally realized it’s cheaper to just buy new locks rather than keep replacing stolen stuff. Lesson learned: if your Security Operations Center is slower than a snail on a Sunday stroll, you might want to invest in turbo-charged cybersecurity measures. Better late than never, right?
Key Points:
– Capita was initially facing a £45 million penalty, slashed to £14 million due to post-breach improvements.
– A Capita employee unknowingly downloaded malware precipitating the breach.
– The breach allowed unauthorized access to sensitive data affecting millions, including pension records and criminal records.
– Capita’s response time to the breach was a pokey 58 hours.
– The ICO emphasizes proactive security measures, like enforcing least privilege principles and prompt response to alerts.