40 million at risk after Target card heist

[mitty14u2]

Source: BBC

The cyber thieves managed to infiltrate card swipe systems at Target stores

Payment details from up to 40 million credit cards could have been stolen after they were used in the stores of US retail giant Target.

The retailer said it was investigating after discovering that thieves had gained access to its payment systems.

The data breach began around 29 November, known as Black Friday, one of the busiest shopping days of the year.

The attackers are believed to have been scooping up credit card details for almost three weeks.

"We take this matter very seriously and are working with law enforcement to bring those responsible to justice," said Target boss Gregg Steinhafel in a statement.

In addition, he said, the company was working with a data forensics firm to work out how the theft occurred.

Data-stealing code

Target said the thieves had taken credit card numbers, names, expiration dates and security codes for the cards.




Read more: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/technology-25447077

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Tis the Season to be Jolly,

Don’t worry the NSA will stop them, oh they are not spending billions on cyber thief’s, Oh Never Mind, Tis the Season to be Jolly.

[loudsue]

1. I didn't shop around then, but I have a target red card, and I'm wondering if that kind of info was

taken off target computers. This mess keeps getting worse.

[sendero]

7. Apparantly this was a point of sale.....

.... issue so only those who made a purchase with a card at Target during that time have to worry.

[loudsue]

9. Thanks for the info.

I feel really bad for all the folks who have to deal with this.

[colsohlibgal]

2. Yikes

I didn't go there on Black Friday but I go there a lot and have been there since 11/29. So far so good but anyone who has shopped there recently should vigilantly check their balances.

This possibility has worried me for some time. Smart hackers or just one crooked clerk can wipe you out. I think I'm just going to carry cash to pay for almost all stuff now.

[sinkingfeeling]

3. I last used my Target debit card on 11/26, so guess I'm safe.

[Eugene]

4. Target says PIN numbers not accessed, but cards were

Source: USA Today

Target says PIN numbers not accessed, but cards were

Jayne O'Donnell, USA TODAY 2:01 p.m. EST December 19, 201

Target warned consumers Thursday to monitor their statements for unauthorized use following a massive data breach involving 40 million credit and debit cards used in its stores between Black Friday and Dec. 15.

The information obtained included customer name, credit or debit card number, and the card's expiration date and the three-digit security code, known as the CVV, on the back of cards, the retailer said.

Target spokesman Eric Hausman confirmed it has "no indication that debit card PINs were impacted."

[font size=1]-snip-[/font]

Read more: http://www.usatoday.com/story/money/personalfinance/2013/12/19/target-credit-debit-card-data-breach/4125231/

[onecent]

5. I went to my bank today and they canceled my debit card and gave

me a new one and I am using a new pin. Rather be safe than sorry.

[laundry_queen]

6. For the Canadians here:

http://www.cbc.ca/news/world/target-stores-hit-by-data-breach-affecting-40-million-cards-1.2469895

It seems Canadian stores were ok. Although, I'd take that with a grain of salt because of the whole Winners thing a few years ago. I ended up with all new cards because of THAT breach.

[htuttle]

8. It was a reasonably sophisticated hack, but Target must have left a hole open

From the article:

...the thieves had installed data-stealing code on to card-swipe machines at tills in all 1,797 Target stores.

It is not yet clear how the attackers managed to get their malicious program on to point-of-sale equipment in the stores.

Getting the software on the terminals was impressive, and may have been via one of Target's vendors. However, how did the hacked software send the card information back out to the hackers? Target must have left some outgoing holes in their firewalls. Probably a lack of monitoring as well. You'd think they'd notice traffic from their card terminals to some unknown external address.

[olddad56]

10. I suspect the NSA.