Target shoppers are in shock. They are scared, and dont’ have a clue what could be next. Target, the Minneapolis retailer said Thursday that information on 40 million of their customers’ credit and debit cards may have been cracked by cyber-crooks. An unauthorized access that occurred between November 27, the start of busy holiday shopping season, and December 15 could mean the criminals have names, payment card numbers, expiration dates and the three digit security codes.
Target said they are working very closely with law enforcement agencies and financial institutions in “putting all appropriate resources behind these efforts.” Target is partnering with a third party forensics firm to further investigate. Customers should check with their banks and The Federal Trade Commission if they notice any suspicious activity. Those affected were customers who made purchases in the United States.
The KrebsOnSecurity blog reported the data break-in was extended to almost all of Target’s 1,797 stores. The source, KrebsOnSecurity says, is anonymous. This breach may be one of the biggest for the retailer. T.J. Maxx and Marshalls parent company TJX Cos.’s computer systems were hacked and went undetected for over a year. 50 million credit and debit cards were on account at the time. They paid 9.75 million to 41 states to settle investigations into the breach.
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