Privacy advocates are denouncing the ruling.

As federal agencies increasingly draw on biometric data for their work, the stakes for protecting that data from hackers have grown.

The punishment could last for years if Perceptics is placed on a government blacklist.

The hackers struck after the unnamed subcontractor transferred copies of the images collected by CBP to the subcontractor’s network.

While the Department of Homeland Security has looked to step up its use of drones to patrol the southern border, lax security policies have left the collected data vulnerable, a new audit finds.

U.S. Customs and Border Protection has hired Alma Cole, a former CBP IT security specialist, as its Chief Information Security Officer.