Target holiday cyber breach hits 40 million payment cards

Chicago Tribune ^ | 12-18-13

[afraidfortherepublic]

Payment card data was stolen from an unknown number of Target Corp customers starting on the busy Black Friday weekend in a major breach at the U.S. retailer, according to a person familiar with the matter.

The Secret Service is investigating, according to a spokesman for the agency, which safeguards the nation's payment systems. Target officials did not respond to requests for comment.

Investigators believe the data was obtained via software installed on machines that customers use to swipe magnetic strips on their cards when paying for merchandise at Target stores, according to the person who was not authorized to discuss the matter and declined to provide further details.

Krebs on Security, a closely watched security industry blog that broke the news, said the breach involved nearly all of Target's 1,797 stores in the United States, citing sources at two credit card issuers. The report said that "track data" from at least 1 million payment cards was thought to have been stolen before Target uncovered the operation, but that the number could be significantly higher.

"When all is said and done, this one will put its mark up there with some of the largest retail breaches to date," the report cited an unnamed source as saying.

The biggest credit card breach at a U.S. retailer reported to date was an attack against TJX Cos, the parent of TJ Maxx and Marshalls. The company disclosed in March 2007 that data from 45.7 million payment cards had been stolen by hackers over 18 months. Banks later asserted in court documents the hackers could have obtained more than 94 million account numbers.

[Standing Wolf]

The Secret Service is investigating, according to a spokesman for the agency, which safeguards the nation's payment systems.

Uh-oh. Must have been a network of hookers involved. The Secret Service has developed quite a reputation with those.

[GeronL]

Apparently this happened as Target stopped asking applicants about their criminal background....

[upchuck]

Solution: Pay cash.

[no-to-illegals]

Thank you for the LOL contained within your tagline. Needed that LOL.

[tcrlaf]

No mention of the country these attacks are coming from. I wonder why?

[no-to-illegals]

My guess is multiples of countries. These multiples of countries perhaps are even working together.

[what's up]

Why on earth is the secret service involved?

[no-to-illegals]

A guess ... this one is too big for the fbi and other alphabets.

[JediJones]

I use the Target brand credit card that can’t be used at any non-Target stores. Makes it much less likely hackers would use it and probably more likely Target would notice the problem if they did try to use it on target.com. Gets me 5% off just for using it so that’s good savings. And since it’s not a debit so I don’t have to worry about it touching real money.

[no-to-illegals]

See these countries are taking osama’s advice and no doubt there is a zer0 out there helping these countries. Come on Secret Service!!!! ... Nobody is kidding anybody but I’m not the one kidding around here. You know who the guilty are. Quit playing games! Quit wasting time. Mine and Yours!

[rollo tomasi]

Well before President Wilson co-opted the SS, the agency was only responsible for investigating counterfeiting. The agency should of stayed primarily going after counterfeiting but the DOD was is not good enough for the “philosopher king”.

[rollo tomasi]

Apologies, was typing in short hand.

The agency should of stayed the way they were originally created for by primarily going after counterfeiting, but the DOD was/is not good enough for the “philosopher kings" ( As a means for protection).

[no-to-illegals]

Truth is and the Secret Service knows, as does the FBI, as does our Military, as does all the alphabet agencies ... This story is the tip of the iceberg. What is not being said is worse. The Secret Service, the FBI, our Military, our Allies, all the alphabet agencies know where the problem lays. None of them have the balls to go arrest these people though. Would create a Constitutional Crisis. Many of the guilty walk within our government as elected because you cannot arrest anyone elected unless the elected deem it to be so. Am tired of the vicious circle of lies. Many of the guilty are in the White House and in our Congress. To say anything else is a total lie and the Secret Service knows this, as does the FBI, as does our Military, as does all the alphabet agencies and our Allies.

My apology for the rant .... There is only one truth. The truth is not unknown or in the gray. The truth is a know for this case. Nobody has the cagones though to create a Constitutional Crisis.

[EDINVA]

That was my thought. Go to your own bank, get cash, shop. Simple. Just like the old days.

[afraidfortherepublic]

Curious that you should mention cash. My business bank (Harris) announced this month that they are going to charge a fee for cash deposits that total more than $3000 per month. It’s a small fee, but nevertheless, what is that going to do to businesses that deal in cash, such as restaurants and retail?

This fee will not affect me, but I’m about ready to leave this bank for other (very good) reasons. I think that they are just nuts! Hopefully, by the end of January, they will be my bank no more. It’s not easy to change banks.

[minnesota_bound]

Do they encrypt the data?
If not then why not?

[Octar]

The Secret Service used to be an honorable outfit. But,under Obama, it is reduced to a gaggle of drunken, stumblebum goons. I no longer have any repect for them.

[Dalberg-Acton]

Doesn’t matter if the data is encrypted since “the data was obtained via software installed on machines that customers use to swipe magnetic strips on their cards when paying for merchandise”.

[Salvation]

Never have shopped at Target after they denied Salvation Army Bell Ringers in front of their stores. In fact, have never set foot in one. Now I find out that is a blessing!