Cathay Pacific fined by UK watchdog for data breach of 9 million fliers
Hong Kong carrier Cathay Pacific has been fined HK$5 million by Britain’s privacy watchdog over a huge data leak of more than nine million customers including passport numbers and credit card details.
The Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) said in a statement on Wednesday it has ordered the airline to pay 500,000 dollars for “failing to protect the security of its customers’ personal data”.
Between October 2014 and May 2019, a lack of security measures on the carrier’s computer systems led to a massive data breach involving 9.4 million customers around the world — including 111,578 from the UK — according to the ICO.
“People rightly expect when they provide their personal details to a company, that those details will be kept secure to ensure they are protected from any potential harm or fraud,” Steve Eckersley, ICO Director of Investigations said.
