Tweet
Target says data breach up to 110 mn customers
AFP
4 hours ago
A newly-opened Target store is pictured on October 10, 2013 in Chicago, Illinois (AFP Photo/Scott Olson)
New York (AFP) - Giant US retailer Target said Friday that up to 110 million customers have had their personal data stolen in a data breach, sharply raising its initial estimate.
The number of people affected represented one in three Americans, and the scope of the information stolen was much broader than originally thought, Target admitted.
Target initially reported on December 19 that payment card data of some 40 million customers had been obtained by hackers during the year-end holiday shopping season.
The stolen information included credit and debit card data, customer names and PIN (personal identification data) numbers.
On Friday, Target said that its investigation had revealed that hackers also stole a second batch of data that included names, mailing addresses, phone numbers or email addresses for up to 70 million people.
"This theft is not a new breach; these are two distinct thefts as part of the same breach," a Target spokesman told AFP.
"The 70 million guests impacted by this new development are separate from the 40 million number that was previously shared."
Target chief executive Gregg Steinhafel said the company was "truly sorry" for the data breach.
AFP
4 hours ago
A newly-opened Target store is pictured on October 10, 2013 in Chicago, Illinois (AFP Photo/Scott Olson)
New York (AFP) - Giant US retailer Target said Friday that up to 110 million customers have had their personal data stolen in a data breach, sharply raising its initial estimate.
The number of people affected represented one in three Americans, and the scope of the information stolen was much broader than originally thought, Target admitted.
Target initially reported on December 19 that payment card data of some 40 million customers had been obtained by hackers during the year-end holiday shopping season.
The stolen information included credit and debit card data, customer names and PIN (personal identification data) numbers.
On Friday, Target said that its investigation had revealed that hackers also stole a second batch of data that included names, mailing addresses, phone numbers or email addresses for up to 70 million people.
"This theft is not a new breach; these are two distinct thefts as part of the same breach," a Target spokesman told AFP.
"The 70 million guests impacted by this new development are separate from the 40 million number that was previously shared."
Target chief executive Gregg Steinhafel said the company was "truly sorry" for the data breach.
Comment