Thousands of Barclays Group clients were hurt in the beginning of the year. The bank security department reported about a theft from 27,000 customers to the management of the financial group. An anonymous source informed the bank about the case and provided a memory stick containing files on 2,000 clients as a proof. The information included details on income, savings, mortgages, health issues, insurance policies and passport and national insurance numbers. The whistle-blower also said that the data can be sold for as much as millions of pounds. He also mentioned that the lion's share of 27,000 files was sold briefly after it had been stolen. The managing board made a statement to the British authorities and the affected clients saying Barclays was taking “all necessary steps” to resolve the issue. The bank posted on its official website, “This appears to be criminal action and we will cooperate with the authorities on pursuing the perpetrator”. Experts estimated the maximum penalty for the security breach. The bank group may face fines of up to 500,000 pounds sterling ($820,000). It is not the first occasion in the world of finance. Several months ago, Target Corp. was a victim of a cyber attack. Then, the executives of the world's largest retailer announced leakage of 40 million credit card details, but Target said the issue was solved immediately.
