40 Million Credit Card Accounts Breached at Target

40 Million Credit Card Accounts Breached at Target

40 Million Credit Card Accounts Breached at TargetWell, it looks like holiday shoppers patronizing Target may have gotten scrooged by some sophisticated hackers! As many as 40 million shoppers who purchased items from Target’s brick-and-mortar stores with their credit cards from November 27 to December 15, 2013 may have been impacted.

The Secret Service has the responsibility to safeguard the U.S.’ financial infrastructure and payment systems, so they are currently investigating the breach that was initially discovered last month around the time of Black Friday via a report from Brian Krebs, a security researcher.

As soon as Target executives were alerted to the breach, they immediately notified authorities and financial institutions, and even hired a forensics team to thoroughly investigate how the unauthorized access occurred.

“Target’s first priority is preserving the trust of our guests, and we have moved swiftly to address this issue so guest can shop with confidence,” assured Gregg Steinhafel, CEO of Target Corp.

Shoppers, it’s important to realize that hackers could possibly withdraw cash from your account using counterfeit debit cards at ATMs, if they were able to intercept your PIN number. And, it has been confirmed that stolen data includes customer names, credit/debit card numbers, expiration dates and security codes found on the back of cards.

“A concern is that the thieves could attempt to make counterfeit cards, because the stolen data came from the accounts of customers who made purchases by swiping their cards at terminals,” said White & Case Partner Daren Orzechowski, who focuses on information technology legal matters, including privacy. “Target or the credit card company may have to offer these customers something, such as credit monitoring, to protect them from suffering any monetary losses and to preserve goodwill.

"Any time an organization finds itself a victim of a data breach, it puts its brand and reputation at risk because it can significantly damage consumer trust. For retailers, something like this is terrible, but they can better navigate the situation if they have a plan and protocol in place to address a breach, if and when it happens. The last thing a business wants to do is to scramble to come up with a remedy after a breach has occurred.”

Target regrets any inconvenience this has caused as they continue to invest in their security practices to protect shoppers’ data.

Things to Do If You Believe Your Financial Data Has Been Stolen

  • If you discover suspicious activity or suspect fraud, notify your financial institution immediately.
  • Request your credit report from Equifax, Experian and TransUnion to make sure no fraudulent transactions have been made on your accounts.
  • Ask credit agencies about fraud alerts, and consider security freezes on your accounts.
  • Bonus Tip: Monitor your financial data frequently. (I monitor mine on a daily basis.)

(Photo courtesy of Lynn Watson/Shutterstock.com)

About the Author

Ginger Hill is Group Social Media Manager.

Featured

  • AI Is Now the Leading Cybersecurity Concern for Security, IT Leaders

    Arctic Wolf recently published findings from its State of Cybersecurity: 2025 Trends Report, offering insights from a global survey of more than 1,200 senior IT and cybersecurity decision-makers across 15 countries. Conducted by Sapio Research, the report captures the realities, risks, and readiness strategies shaping the modern security landscape. Read Now

  • Analysis of AI Tools Shows 85 Percent Have Been Breached

    AI tools are becoming essential to modern work, but their fast, unmonitored adoption is creating a new kind of security risk. Recent surveys reveal a clear trend – employees are rapidly adopting consumer-facing AI tools without employer approval, IT oversight, or any clear security policies. According to Cybernews Business Digital Index, nearly 90% of analyzed AI tools have been exposed to data breaches, putting businesses at severe risk. Read Now

  • Software Vulnerabilities Surged 61 Percent in 2024, According to New Report

    Action1, a provider of autonomous endpoint management (AEM) solutions, today released its 2025 Software Vulnerability Ratings Report, revealing a 61% year-over-year surge in discovered software vulnerabilities and a 96% spike in exploited vulnerabilities throughout 2024, amid an increasingly aggressive threat landscape. Read Now

  • Motorola Solutions Named Official Safety Technology Supplier of the Ryder Cup through 2027

    Motorola Solutions has today been named the Official Safety Technology Supplier of the 2025 and 2027 Ryder Cup, professional golf’s renowned biennial team competition between the United States and Europe. Read Now

  • Evolving Cybersecurity Strategies

    Organizations are increasingly turning their attention to human-focused security approaches, as two out of three (68%) cybersecurity incidents involve people. Threat actors are shifting from targeting networks and systems to hacking humans via social engineering methods, living off human errors as their most prevalent attack vector. Whether manipulated or not, human cyber behavior is leveraged to gain backdoor access into systems. This mainly results from a lack of employee training and awareness about evolving attack techniques employed by malign actors. Read Now

New Products

  • A8V MIND

    A8V MIND

    Hexagon’s Geosystems presents a portable version of its Accur8vision detection system. A rugged all-in-one solution, the A8V MIND (Mobile Intrusion Detection) is designed to provide flexible protection of critical outdoor infrastructure and objects. Hexagon’s Accur8vision is a volumetric detection system that employs LiDAR technology to safeguard entire areas. Whenever it detects movement in a specified zone, it automatically differentiates a threat from a nonthreat, and immediately notifies security staff if necessary. Person detection is carried out within a radius of 80 meters from this device. Connected remotely via a portable computer device, it enables remote surveillance and does not depend on security staff patrolling the area.

  • AC Nio

    AC Nio

    Aiphone, a leading international manufacturer of intercom, access control, and emergency communication products, has introduced the AC Nio, its access control management software, an important addition to its new line of access control solutions.

  • Camden CV-7600 High Security Card Readers

    Camden CV-7600 High Security Card Readers

    Camden Door Controls has relaunched its CV-7600 card readers in response to growing market demand for a more secure alternative to standard proximity credentials that can be easily cloned. CV-7600 readers support MIFARE DESFire EV1 & EV2 encryption technology credentials, making them virtually clone-proof and highly secure.