Hackers Compromise Card Data of Innumerable Target Customers with Malware Infecting POS
Chief Executive Officer of well-known North American retail company Target, Gregg Steinhafel recently reported that computer hackers attacked the company's POS (Point-of-sale) terminals for seizing innumerable customers' payment card details, as per the news from CNET, January 12, 2014.
Reportedly, it was 15th December 2013 that the data hack affecting a huge 110m customer, whose personal information got leaked, was first detected, 4 days prior to the hack being publicly disclosed.
On January 10, 2014, Target disclosed that the hacking attack, which was executed during November 27-December 15, 2013, happened to be bigger than initially thought.
CEO Steinhafel as well explains as to the reason the company took 4 days for notifying clients about the hack.
First, Target on a priory basis wanted to ensure the malicious software used for compromising the POS terminals was cleansed off.
Next day, work was begun towards determining whatever data had been stolen. Thereafter, the third day was used for preparing to answer a flow of customers who were expected to inquire everything related to the security breach as they flooded Target's call centers and stores. Finally, on the fourth day, the company made the notification regarding the hack.
At first, the retail company stated that the cyber-crooks hijacked card information belonging to a maximum of 40m customers. But, during the 1st-week of January 2014, when the breach's analysis was still going on, Target found that the hackers as well captured the e-mail ids, addresses, and telephone numbers besides names of a maximum of 70m people.
According to an admission by Steinhafel, clearly his company was answerable; however, Target would do significant changes. Bobsguide.com published this, January 13, 2014.
Steinhafel even said sorry for the assault's occurrence, but pledged on behalf of the company towards getting at the incident's root.
In the 1st-week of January 2014 itself, one other prominent retailer Neiman Marcus of Dallas, USA too confirmed encountering a security hack wherein card data got seized.
Over years, there have been constantly-occurring security breaches against stores as well as card-processing firms although no large consumer backlash occurred. TJX Cos. (2007) and Heartland Payment Systems (2009) are some examples.
» SPAMfighter News - 1/22/2014
