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ARTICLE · 29 JANUARY 2026

Capita Data Breach: Key Learnings For UK Organisations

Gowling WLG
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The Information Commissioner's Office's (ICO) £14 million penalty against Capita plc and Capita Pension Solutions Limited (CPSL) marked one of the most significant UK data protection enforcement actions in recent years.

United KingdomPrivacy
Loretta Pugh
Loretta Pugh
Jocelyn S. Paulley
Jocelyn S. Paulley
Ben Goldby
Ben Goldby
Gurjeet Bahra
Gurjeet Bahra
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The Information Commissioner's Office's (ICO) £14 million penalty against Capita plc and Capita Pension Solutions Limited (CPSL) marked one of the most significant UK data protection enforcement actions in recent years. Issued in October 2025, the penalty followed the major March 2023 data breach, which led to the theft of personal data belonging to 6.6 million individuals and affected more than 325 organisations.

In its Monetary Penalty Notice (MPN), the ICO sets out clear lessons for UK organisations handling personal data, particularly those processing large volumes of sensitive information. This article highlights what happened, why the ICO took enforcement action and the practical steps organisations should take to strengthen their data protection and cyber security posture.

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