- Enforcing jurisdiction
- Austria · Geography does not establish applicable law.
- Confirmed applicable legislation
- No confirmed legal basis recorded.
- Privacy topics
Bank – €4,000,000 Fine (Austria, 2021)
Privacy enforcement record
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A bank in Austria was fined for failing to protect customer data properly, leading to a major data breach. This is important because it shows that companies must take data security seriously to protect their customers' information from being exposed.
What happened
The bank stored sensitive customer data in an unprotected Excel file that was accidentally sent to thousands of customers.
Who was affected
Approximately 5,971 customers whose data was exposed were affected by the breach.
What the authority found
The DPA ruled that the bank did not implement adequate security measures to protect personal data, violating GDPR requirements.
Why this matters
This case highlights the critical need for businesses to adopt strong data protection practices to prevent breaches and safeguard customer trust.
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Review needed — 5 March 2026.
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Original fine summary: The Austrian DPA has imposed a fine of EUR 4,000,000 on a credit institution. The controller had stored an Excel file containing personal data, such as customers' account information, on an internal drive for the purpose of internal administration of bank customers. The file could be accessed and viewed by all branch employees as needed. The Excel file was neither encrypted nor protected by other adequate measures against unauthorized access or unintentional disclosure to third parties. An employee inadvertently sent the Excel list to 234 customers, disclosing the personal data of approximately 5,971 customers. The DPA therefore found that the controller had failed to implement adequate technical and organizational measures to protect personal data. Update: The fine was reduced from EUR 4,000,000 to EUR 50,000 following a court ruling in 2024.
Related Enforcement Actions (0)
No other enforcement actions found for Bank in AT
This is the only recorded action for this entity in this jurisdiction.
Details
Fine Date
1 January 2021
Authority
Datenschutzbehörde
Fine Amount
€4,000,000
Enforcement Tracker ID
ETid-872
About this data
Cite as: Cookie Fines. Bank - Austria (2021). Retrieved from cookiefines.eu
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