Skip to main content
Menu Icon
Close

InfoBytes Blog

Financial Services Law Insights and Observations

U.K.’s ICO announces two GDPR data breach actions

Privacy/Cyber Risk & Data Security GDPR Information Commissioner's Office Of Interest to Non-US Persons

Privacy, Cyber Risk & Data Security

On July 8 and 9, the United Kingdom’s Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) issued two notices of its intention to fine companies for infringements of the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR). On July 8, the ICO announced it intended to fine a U.K.-based airline £183.39M for a September 2018 cyber incident, which, due to “poor security arrangements,” allowed attackers to divert user traffic on the airline’s website to a fraudulent site, making consumer details accessible. The airline notified the ICO about the incident, which compromised the data of approximately 500,000 consumers, and has cooperated with the ICO in the investigation and made improvements to its security arrangements. Additionally, on July 9, the ICO announced it intended to fine a multinational hotel chain £99,200,396 for failing to undertake sufficient due diligence when the chain purchased a hotel group in 2016, which had previously exposed 339 million guest records globally in 2014. The exposure was discovered in 2018, and the hotel chain thereafter reported the incident to the ICO, and has cooperated with the investigation and made improvements to its security arrangements. In both announcements, the ICO notes that it will, “consider carefully the representations made by the company and the other concerned data protection authorities” before issuing the final decision.