Illicit software blamed for massive data breach

CNN Money ^ | March 28, 2008

[AFPhys]

Unauthorized computer programs, secretly installed on servers in Hannaford Brothers supermarkets compromised up to 4.2 million debit and credit cards...

PORTLAND, Maine (AP) -- Unauthorized software that was secretly installed on servers in Hannaford Bros. Co.'s supermarkets across the Northeast and in Florida enabled the massive data breach that compromised up to 4.2 million credit and debit cards, the company said Friday...The Scarborough, Maine-based grocer confirmed a report in The Boston Globe that it told Massachusetts regulators this week about the link between the breach and the illicit programs, known as "malware."

The company doesn't know how the malware - short for malicious software - got onto nearly all its 271 stores' servers...At least 1,800 cases of fraud have been linked to the data breach

...it appeared to be the first large-scale theft of credit and debit card numbers while the information was in transit...the breach, which occurred between Dec. 7 and March 10, allowed credit and debit card numbers to be stolen as shoppers swiped their cards at checkout line machines and the information was transmitted to banks for approval.

The malware turned up in all Hannaford stores in New England and New York, and in most of the company's affiliated Sweetbay stores in Florida...

[AFPhys]

Please ping your list, SA

Others who have computer related lists - please ping.

I am very interested in any further information about this people have. Especially wondering if this appears to be an insider job, or not, and whether MS Server was the operating system breached. Even a private ping would be appreciated, if the info should not be public.

[TLI]

Even while the Hannaford hack was still going on last month, the company was found to be in compliance with security standards required by the Payment Card Industry, a coalition founded by credit card companies

Well, so much for easy check out. It's back to cash for me.

[Paul Heinzman]

Ping.

[ShadowAce]

[rarestia]

Sweetbay here in the Tampa Bay area uses Dell machines for most of their registers. I would venture a guess that they’re running 2000 or XP in kiosk mode with an automatic startup register program.

I spent a lot of money at Sweetbay over the years. They were the closest market to my home, and I could walk there to get anything. Now, I’ve decided to make the slightly longer trip to Publix.