macy

Macy’s Customer Data Exposed After October Website Hack

The department store chain is notifying customers that hackers were able to scrape credit card data from online purchases for about a week.

  • By Haley Samsel
  • Nov 21, 2019

Ahead of the holiday shopping season, Macy’s is not feeling the Christmas cheer. That’s because the department store’s website was the target of a cyber attack in October, according to a letter that Macy’s sent to affected customers.

On Oct. 15, Macy’s security teams were alerted to a connection between macys.com and another website. After investigating, the company realized that an unauthorized third party added unauthorized computer code to two pages on macys.com a week earlier on Oct. 7.

The code allowed the third party to capture information submitted by customers either through the checkout page and or the “wallet page,” where customers store their credit card information on their Macy’s accounts.

While the code was promptly removed on Oct. 15, hackers were still able to gather the names, addresses, phone numbers, email addresses and payment card numbers of customers who typed that information into the checkout page or the “My Account” wallet page.

Macy’s has not said how many customers were affected, and the chain has taken the case to federal law enforcement. After the incident was announced on Tuesday, Macy’s shares fell by nearly 11 percent, CBS News reported.

In a letter to affected customers, the company said that it is offering identity protection services for 12 months free of charge and has taken steps to keep future cyber attacks at bay.

“We have taken steps that we believe are designed to prevent this type of unauthorized code from being added to macys.com,” the letter reads.

This is the second security breach that Macy’s has suffered in the past two years. In the spring of 2018, hackers were able to gain access to customers’ usernames and passwords through both macys.com and bloomingdales.com for over a month. Back then, the company said it had also implemented new security measures to protect customer data.

About the Author

Haley Samsel is an Associate Content Editor for the Infrastructure Solutions Group at 1105 Media.

Featured

  • Report Reveals Security Training Reduces Global Phishing Click Rates by 86%

    KnowBe4, the cybersecurity platform that comprehensively addresses human risk management, today launched its “Phishing by Industry Benchmarking Report 2025” which measures an organization’s Phish-prone Percentage (PPP) — the percentage of employees likely to fall for social engineering or phishing attacks, indicating the organization’s overall susceptibility to phishing threats. This year’s report found a global average baseline PPP of 33.1%, meaning a third of employees interact with phishing simulations before taking part in best-practice security awareness training (SAT).COVER 2025-PIB-NA-Report_EN-US Read Now

  • TSA Begins REAL ID Full Enforcement Today

    Today, the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) announced the imminent implementation of its REAL ID enforcement measures at TSA checkpoints nationwide. Read Now

  • Body-Worn Cameras on the Rise

    On the evening of Oct. 29, 2024, the owner of 300 Guard based in Houston, was shot while on duty at a convenience store. He returned fire. He was wearing a plated vest and thankfully recovered in the hospital. Read Now

  • Brazil Port Enhances Surveillance and Supports Wildlife Conservation with Sustainable Technology

    Ferroport, which operates the iron ore terminal at the Port of Açu in São João da Barra, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, has deployed state-of-the-art video surveillance cameras from Axis Communications to enhance nighttime security and visibility, while decreasing environmental impact and prioritizing sustainability. With cutting-edge technology, the port now has precise surveillance cameras that capture high-quality nighttime images, while reducing the amount of artificial lighting that negatively impacts the surrounding ecosystem. Read Now

  • Fast-Forward from 1,000 B.C.E. to Today

    The lock and key have been around since time immemorial. In fact, the locksmith profession is one of the oldest in the world when you consider the earliest wooden tumbler lock debuted three-plus millennia ago. Read Now

Most   Popular

New Products

  • 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.

  • EasyGate SPT and SPD

    EasyGate SPT SPD

    Security solutions do not have to be ordinary, let alone unattractive. Having renewed their best-selling speed gates, Cominfo has once again demonstrated their Art of Security philosophy in practice — and confirmed their position as an industry-leading manufacturers of premium speed gates and turnstiles.

  • Automatic Systems V07

    Automatic Systems V07

    Automatic Systems, an industry-leading manufacturer of pedestrian and vehicle secure entrance control access systems, is pleased to announce the release of its groundbreaking V07 software. The V07 software update is designed specifically to address cybersecurity concerns and will ensure the integrity and confidentiality of Automatic Systems applications. With the new V07 software, updates will be delivered by means of an encrypted file.