Tag: target

The cyberattack on Sony Pictures made employees collateral damage

Staff Writer

The wave of cyberattacks of large retailers, from Target to Home Depot, over the past year have made hacks feel like a fact of life for many consumers. But the alleged breach at Sony Pictures last week hints at a future where such attacks are more invasive than a stolen credit card: Documents allegedly leaked include Social Security numbers, salary information and even employee performance reviews. The leaked documents, first reported on by Kevin Roose at Fusion, have not yet been verified by Sony. But a memo sent to employees by Sony Pictures executives obtained by the…

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Cyber Crime a big cost for small businesses

Staff Writer

NEW YORK (AP) — It’s not just big businesses like JPMorgan Chase, Target and Home Depot that get hacked. Small companies suffer from intrusions into their computer systems, too. The costs associated with computer and website attacks can run well into the thousands and even millions of dollars for a small company. Many small businesses have been attacked — 44%, according to a 2013 survey by the National Small Business Association, an advocacy group. Those companies had costs averaging $8,700. JPMorgan Chase (JPM) said the attack on its computer servers…

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NEW YORK: Target sent victims to Experian, which leaked data to criminals

Staff Writer

Companies can’t keep your data safe. It’s that simple. When Target lost data on some 110 million customers, it recommended them to credit bureau Experian for “identity theft protection,” offering to cover the cost for a year. Think you’re in better hands? Think again. Sometime before the Target (TGT) hack, Experian had its own data leak — via a subsidiary. It unknowingly sold the personal data of millions of Americans — including Social Security numbers — to a fraudster in Vietnam. That guy then sold the personal information to identity…

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Why did Target take so long to report data security breach?

Staff Writer

The Target data breach affecting 40 million of the retailer’s credit and debit cards stems back to Nov. 27, two days before Black Friday. So why are we just hearing about it now, three weeks later? Blame protocol.  Although it might seem like ages to affected consumers, in the scheme of data breaches, even three weeks is a pretty quick time frame to spot a breach and notify customers, said Will Pelgrin, president and chief executive of the Center for Internet Security. “No matter how quickly an entity notifies you,…

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