BOSTON (CBS) – A local restaurant group is learning the hard way what the law says about protecting customers’ personal data.

The Briar Group has agreed to a $110,000 penalty over allegations that the company’s five restaurants kept entering credit card information in their system even they knew there was an ongoing security breach.

WBZ NewsRadio 1030′s Anthony Silva reports.

Attorney General Martha Coakley says Briar Group did not react quickly as malware installed on the company computer allowed the personal data to be accessible for eight months. The problems occurred at five local restaurants, including the Green Briar, the Lenox, M.J. O’Connor’s, Ned Devine’s and The Harp.

A lawsuit alleged that malware installed on the computer system allowed hackers to retrieve account information.