A former software engineer for Amazon Web Services has been arrested and charged with hacking into the cloud-based servers for Capital One Financial Corp., and stealing the personal information of more than 100 million individuals.
The individuals whose information was compromised applied for credit cards with Capital One between 2005 and 2019.
Paige Thompson was accused of accessing the information via a misconfigured firewall. The theft occurred earlier this year. Thompson last worked for Amazon in 2016, according to a published report. She has been charged with one count of computer fraud, which carries a maximum penalty of five years in prison and a $250,000 fine. She is being held without bail, pending a hearing on Aug. 1.
Along with the personal information of more than 100 million individuals, about 140,000 Social Security numbers and 80,000 bank account details were accessed as part of the hack.
Capital One has set up a website to provide details about the hack. The breach is expected to cost Capital One between $100 million and $150 million.
The breach was discovered on July 19.
The types of cards that were being applied for are “favorites” for individuals who are “getting started with their credit” or re-building their credit and have “little financial margin for error,” said one card expert.
