Target data breach total rises to up to 110 million

[jsr]

Last edited Fri Jan 10, 2014, 10:45 PM - Edit history (1)

Source: USA TODAY

The massive data breach at Target over the holiday season is potentially much worse than the retailer first reported — as many as 110 million people may have had their identity and financial information compromised, the retailer says.

It remains unclear just how many individuals are affected and how. The company's ongoing investigation found that up to 70 million people had personal information stolen in the breach; in December, Target disclosed that 40 million accounts had been hacked.

The amount of overlap between the two figures — 70 million and 40 million — is uncertain. Target averages 30 million customers a week.

The retailer said Friday that "the stolen information includes names, mailing addresses, phone numbers or e-mail addresses for up to 70 million individuals."


Read more: http://www.usatoday.com/story/money/business/2014/01/10/target-customers-data-breach/4404467/

[ificandream]

1. Does Target really care?

Have I missed it or has Target floated information about what customers need to do? I've been to my local Target twice and both times they haven't had handy information on this. They've had to look it up. You'd think in a situation this big, it'd be at their fingertips.

[RC]

3. Target most definitely does care.

This is affecting their bottom line in a major way. They are working on solutions, with the banks and credit card companies. This is a major headache for the banks and credit card companies too.
Just because they don't have big signs on the front doors and literature at the check out counters does not mean they don't care about what happened. What the customers need to do is on the back of their credit cards.

[Demeter]

2. Never shopped there, and now, for sure, never will

NO, they don't care. It's not their problem, dontcha see?

[starroute]

10. That's a fairly dogmatic attitude to take

If you live an an area where you have unlimited choices, it's easy to cross one of them off your list, but not everyone has as many options.

I don't shop at Target often, but I was there just a few days before the breach. I was looking for a microwave vegetable steamer. I'd tried every place else in my area without success. Target was my last hope and they turned out to have just what I was looking for

Also, it's not like any place else is safe. I've had my credit card replaced twice in the last 3-4 years because of security breaches.

[sorefeet]

4. How many of the stolen cards were

protected by LIFE LOCK the identity protection scam that Limbaugh is pushing. They stole those card numbers just as easy as they did any other card number. It's a bullshit scam Rush. Just like you.

[City Lights]

5. Last time I was at Target I paid cash,

and made a point of telling the cashier why I was doing so. He feigned ignorance to the whole thing. When I spelled it out for him, his response was, "Oh, that. It's over."

[tkmorris]

7. What was the point of that?

The cashiers don't know anything. They are as much in the dark about what happened as you are. They are about as responsible for what happened as you are for that matter. They make about $8.50 an hour and suddenly every other customer is treating them like they personally kicked their dog. Put the blame where it belongs.

[geardaddy]

9. +1

[pothos]

17. great job

busting the balls of someone who makes minimum wage and couldn't care less what method of payment you're using.

[tomm2thumbs]

6. The only silver lining I see is people using their cards less or not-at-all

It certainly is one way to put the credit card companies out of business... by scaring people out of using them.

[Sanity Claws]

13. That's the way I see it too

I try to use cash for several reasons. One is that I will spend less. Another is that it cuts the bank out of the transaction, thus depriving them of a source of revenue. Third reason is that cash goes to the merchant. I consider this very important when dealing with local merchants.

[question everything]

8. Just curious: is it Target's fault that it was hacked?

We have had government offices and others that were hacked. Would could Target have done? Except that it took about two weeks - I think - for this to be discovered/released.

I am not trying to defend Target and - fingers crossed - am not affected, but am just curious.

[tridim]

11. How easy would it be for the Walton family to hack their competitors?

Pretty easy.

Heads up Costco.

[Stainless]

12. Credit Card Technology is Obsolete

According to an article I read elsewhere, the magnetic strip on the back of a credit card is outdated technology and is easy to clone. The solution to the problem is to issue cards with embedded chips because they are much more difficult to reproduce. In addition, the card readers would need to be replaced. Banks and businesses are dragging their feet however, and are reluctant to spend the money to improve the system. The leaders who are supposed to run the country are unwilling to do what is necessary to create jobs, improve infrastructure and to help to secure everyone's banking information!

It is quite obvious that Bankers and Businessmen are directly responsible for identity theft because they refuse to improve security when the means to do so is readily available.

[Beacool]

15. Yes, I've read the same thing.

For the wealthiest nation in the world, we seem to be behind other countries in a lot of areas (particularly in technology and infrastructure).

[KurtNYC]

18. Right and calling it "identity theft" puts the blame on their customers.

We didn't design their flawed system.

[truthisfreedom]

14. All of this is because US credit card security sucks.

[SoapBox]

16. Bad news but...

I still shop there. We have two stores very close...one 3 minutes away and another 10 away (actually a third is 20 or less). I'm sure as he'll not going to ScumMart and Kmart is a mess.

And yes, I'll charge (to get my rewards points)...I look at the account every couple of weeks as it is to check charges...after the card number was lifted at a Circle K gas station TWICE early in 2013. Gas is now paid by cash at all stations...total pain in the ass.

[NightWatcher]

19. they are saying it could be 110 million now

That's one third of the US population