BusinessAlastair Jamieson NBC News
4 minutes ago
ERIC THAYER / Reuters, file
Shoppers are seen at a Target store during Black Friday sales in Brooklyn.
Approximately 40 million credit and debit card accounts may have been affected by a data breach at Target stores across the U.S., the retailer said Thursday.
The company said in a statement that it was “aware of unauthorized access to payment card data that may have impacted certain guests making credit and debit card purchases” between Nov. 27 and Dec. 15.
“Target alerted authorities and financial institutions immediately after it was made aware of the unauthorized access, and is putting all appropriate resources behind these efforts,” the statement said.
“Among other actions, Target is partnering with a leading third-party forensics firm to conduct a thorough investigation of the incident.”
Investigators believe the data was obtained via software installed on machines that customers use to swipe magnetic strips on their cards when paying for merchandise at Target stores, according Reuters, citing a source who was not authorized to discuss the matter.
“Target’s first priority is preserving the trust of our guests and we have moved swiftly to address this issue, so guests can shop with confidence. We regret any inconvenience this may cause,” said Gregg Steinhafel, who is Target's chairman, president and chief executive officer. “We take this matter very seriously and are working with law enforcement to bring those responsible to justice.”
Krebs on Security, a blog that first reported the news, said that breach involved nearly all Target outlets in the United States, citing sources at two credit card issuers.
- Facebook Share on Facebook
- GooglePlus
4 minutes ago
Shoppers are seen at a Target store during Black Friday sales in Brooklyn.
Approximately 40 million credit and debit card accounts may have been affected by a data breach at Target stores across the U.S., the retailer said Thursday.
The company said in a statement that it was “aware of unauthorized access to payment card data that may have impacted certain guests making credit and debit card purchases” between Nov. 27 and Dec. 15.
“Target alerted authorities and financial institutions immediately after it was made aware of the unauthorized access, and is putting all appropriate resources behind these efforts,” the statement said.
“Among other actions, Target is partnering with a leading third-party forensics firm to conduct a thorough investigation of the incident.”
Investigators believe the data was obtained via software installed on machines that customers use to swipe magnetic strips on their cards when paying for merchandise at Target stores, according Reuters, citing a source who was not authorized to discuss the matter.
“Target’s first priority is preserving the trust of our guests and we have moved swiftly to address this issue, so guests can shop with confidence. We regret any inconvenience this may cause,” said Gregg Steinhafel, who is Target's chairman, president and chief executive officer. “We take this matter very seriously and are working with law enforcement to bring those responsible to justice.”
Krebs on Security, a blog that first reported the news, said that breach involved nearly all Target outlets in the United States, citing sources at two credit card issuers.