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Bible Society
UK News

Bible Society fined £100,000

The Information Commissioner's Office (ICO) took action after the data leak in 2016.

It found that hackers were able to get access to the personal data of 417,000 supporters - in some cases payment card and bank account details were placed at risk.

The Bible Society works both in the UK and around the world in making the Bible accessible. This is often done through translation but the charity is increasingly looking at different ways to be creative and make the Bible relevent to different sections of society.

The charity says it recognises the significance of the incident and has taken it seriously.

In a statement it said: "Following the hack, we immediately contacted any supporters whose data might have been at risk, giving support and advice on what to do next.

"We have also worked closely with the Information Commissioner's Office over the last 16 months and cooperated fully with them in their enquiry.

"No supporters reported that their accounts had been breached and there is no evidence of any material effect on supporters.

"We remain vigilant regarding cyber security threats and have taken all possible steps to ensure that the risk of a future breach is minimised.

"Payment of the £80,000 fine (following a 20% discount) will not divert any supporter donations away from our mission. We generate funds in a number of different ways, including sales and investments.

The ICO's Head of Enforcement, Steve Eckersley, said: "The Bible Society failed to protect a significant amount of personal data and exposed its supporters to possible financial or identity fraud.

"Our investigation determined that it is likely that the religious belief of the 417,000 supporters could be inferred, and the distress this kind of breach can cause cannot be underestimated.

"Cyber-attacks will happen, that's just a fact, and we fully accept that they are a criminal act. But organisations need to have strong security measures in place to make it as difficult as possible for intruders."

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