Simon Goodley 

Paddy Power admits personal details of 649,000 customers were stolen in 2010

Bookmaker writes to inform customers that its website was hacked in 2010 but says no personal financial information was taken
  
  

Paddy Power betting shop
Paddy Power betting shop. In March, the bookmaker said it had 1.9 million active online customers and won €473m from online punters in 2013, up 21%. Photograph: picturesbyrob / Alamy/Alamy Photograph: picturesbyrob / Alamy/Alamy

Irish bookmaker Paddy Power has revealed its website was hacked in 2010 and personal details of more than 649,000 customers stolen.

The breach was revealed on Thursday as the bookie wrote to inform customers of the incident.

The stolen data included names, addresses, dates of birth, and details of the question and answer prompts often used to verify account details. However, the company said that no personal financial information had been taken.

Peter O'Donovan, managing director of Paddy Power's online division, said: "We sincerely regret that this breach occurred and we apologise to people who have been inconvenienced as a result. We take our responsibilities regarding customer data extremely seriously and have conducted an extensive investigation into the breach and the recovered data. That investigation shows that there is no evidence that any customer accounts have been adversely impacted by this breach."

The bookmaker was advised in May 2014 that some of its data was in the possession of an identified individual in Canada, and the company alerted An Garda Síochána, the Irish police force. The Canadian individual's IT assets have since been seized via a court order and with the assistance the Ontario police.

In March Paddy Power said it had 1.9 million active online customers, up 19% on the previous year. Like many bookmakers, it is experiencing an online boom. In 2013, it won €473m (£375m) from online punters, an increase of 21%.

 

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