Remember how this morning, we explained why it is inevitable that if you shop anywhere, your payment data or personal information will be part of a hack? On Friday evening, Kmart dropped the news that they have also been hacked, with malware installed in their in-store payment system. They have not yet announced how many customers have been affected. [More]
data breaches
Do You Ever Shop Anywhere? Congratulations: Your Data Will Be Hacked
By 10.10.14
By the numbers alone, basically everyone in the country has been the victim of at least one data breach in the past year, if not more. 106 million Americans had their card data stolen from Target and Home Depot alone, to say nothing of the data breaches at Jimmy John’s, Dairy Queen, P.F. Chang’s, UPS, Albertsons, Jewel-Osco, ACME, Shaw’s, Sally Beauty Supply, Goodwill, some Marriott hotels, Neiman Marcus, and Michael’s craft stores. And that isn’t even considering other breaches that were too small to make national headlines, or that simply haven’t been discovered yet. [More]
Chase Data Breach Hit 76M Households, 7M Businesses; Account Info Not Stolen
By 10.2.14
Remember that coordinated hack attack against JPMorgan Chase and other banks from August? Chase now says information — but apparently no payment data — on some 76 million households and 7 million small businesses was compromised. [More]
Jimmy John’s Confirms Credit Card Data Breach At 216 Locations
By 9.24.14
Months after it was first reported that payment systems at sandwich chain Jimmy John’s may have been compromised, the company is finally confirming that 216 of its stores were indeed hacked, putting customers’ credit and debit card data at risk. [More]
Home Depot Already Being Sued Over Apparent Data Breach
By 9.5.14
As of right now, Home Depot has yet to confirm multiple reports that its in-store payment system was hacked, or given any indication how extensive the breach might be. But that hasn’t stopped people from suing the retailer. [More]
UPS: Hackers Hit Computer Systems At 51 Retail Stores, Possibly Exposing Customer Info
By 8.21.14
Did I bump my head and wake up in late 2013? Because it sure feels like deja vu with a slew of recent data breaches: Joining P.F. Chang’s, a group of supermarket chains and Community Health Systems in this month’s data breach roll call is United Parcel Service, which says 51 of its retail store locations had their computer systems hacked. [More]
Walmart Policy Requires Customers To Fork Over Their Credit Card’s 3-Digit Security Code
By 5.20.14
In light of recent, high-profile data breaches, consumers are constantly on guard when it comes to their credit card information. So it might come as a surprise that the country’s largest retailer is asking customer to fork over the sacred three-digit security code on the back of cards in order to make purchases. [More]
Target Tries Making Up For Data Breach By Issuing Secure Chip-And-Pin Cards Next Year
By 4.29.14
In the wake of the massive theft of customer data, Target is revamping its store-branded credit and debit cards with chip-and-pin technology that will make them more secure for in-person transactions, but still leave the door open to some fraudulent use. [More]
Craft Store Michaels Confirms Data Breach Affecting 2.6 Million Credit Cards
By 4.18.14
Three months after craft retailer Michaels announced it may have been the victim of a data breach, the company confirms the worst: nearly 2.6 million consumers’ credit cards are affected. [More]
Surprise! Here’s Your New US Bank Debit Card
By 3.13.14
A blank envelope arrived on Amanda’s doorstep. She almost tossed it aside, since it didn’t say “HEY! I’M IMPORTANT!” on it. She happened to feel a plastic card inside, though, so she opened it up. Inside was her new debit card. That’s good, isn’t it? Amanda doesn’t think so. [More]
MasterCard, Visa Form Industry Group To Address Payment Security Issues
By 3.7.14
In the wake of numerous high-profile data breaches and growing concerns about identity theft, credit card competitors Visa and MasterCard are teaming up to launch a cross-industry effort aimed at improving payment security for consumers. [More]
Secret Service Reportedly Investigating Possible Data Breach At Sears
By 2.28.14
The retail world is still feeling the aftershocks that rumbled through the industry after Target revealed it was hit in a hack attack that exposed credit card info and personal data of up to 110 million customers. As such, inside sources are whispering that Sears is the focus of a new probe from the U.S. Secret Service to see whether it was the victim of a possible security breach. [More]
More Than 30 Consumer Groups Urge President To Put Privacy Bill of Rights Into Law
By 2.24.14
Americans cherish their privacy, but as headline after headline brings alarming news of data breaches, governmental snooping, and data mining, it becomes evident that something needs to be done. That’s why more than 30 civil liberties and consumer advocacy organizations have written President Obama urging him to push for legislation that would make new consumer privacy protections law. [More]
Homeland Security Warns Retailers About Malware Used In Target Hack
By 1.17.14
While you might imagine other big retailers sitting back and having a good ol’ chuckle at the expense of Target, the reality is more like they’re all shaking in their boots. Because if a massive data breach could hit Target, it could happen to any merchant (and probably will hit more). The government wants retailers to be ready, and has released a bunch of information about the methods used in the attack to prepare them. [More]
Target Data Breach Possibly Hit 110 Million, May Include People Who Didn’t Shop During Holidays
By 1.10.14
What we thought was getting worse just keeps getting worser: This morning we heard that the data breach at Target had hit 70 million customers, instead of the 40 million originally reported by the company. And now that number is not only possibly up to 110 million, but it could include people who didn’t even shop during the holidays, which is when Target said the leak happened. [More]
‘Wichcraft Sandwich Shops Reveal Credit Card Hack From 3 Months Ago
By 12.31.13
While it’s certainly not on the scale of the recent Target breach, ‘wichcraft, the chain of sandwich shops co-founded by Top Chef’s Tom Colicchio, announced yesterday that its payment card system for locations in NYC and San Francisco was compromised for several weeks earlier this year, giving hackers access to customers’ names, card numbers, security codes, and expiration dates. [More]
Hacker Gets 41 Months In Prison For iPad Data Breach
By 3.18.13 — Updated: 3.19.13
Remember back in 2010, when some hackers discovered an exploit with AT&T’s system that allowed them to access and publish account information for around 114,000 iPad users? One of the fellas behind that breach was sentenced earlier today to 41 months behind bars. [More]
Visa, MasterCard Don't Want You Knowing Which Companies Are Failing At Protecting Your Information
By 4.3.12
If your bank tells you that your credit card information was stolen from an online merchant you bought something from, it only makes sense that the bank also tell you which e-tailer failed at protecting your information. But the banks say they can’t share this info because the folks at Visa and MasterCard prefer to keep that information private lest you stop doing business with the sources of the leaked information. [More]
