Escaped The Largest Credit Card Data Breach Ever? Well, Here's Another One...

from the just-assume-someone-else-has-your-cc-info dept

Remember last month when a credit card payment processor was forced to admit a security breach that could impact 100 million people? Well, if you were lucky enough not to get caught up in that breach, there's apparently another one to worry about. Visa and Mastercard are issuing a new warning over a different payment processor whose system was apparently compromised as well. At this rate, it's getting silly to have static credit card numbers, since it seems like we're replacing our cards every few months anyway.

Filed Under: credit cards, data breach
Companies: mastercard, visa

Another Day, Another Big Data Breach

from the do-people-even-pay-attention? dept

These days, it's probably best to just assume that any private data you've ever provided to a company is public. Given the pace at which the data you've entrusted to companies is leaked, whether via malicious hackers or via company carelessness, it's almost as if the exception to the rule is a company that's actually been able to keep your data safe. So it's hardly surprising that Express Scripts, the massive medical benefits management company, has said that its records appear to have been compromised. Apparently, the company was sent a note, detailing the medical records of about 75 people, with an extortion threat telling the company to pay up or face the exposure of millions of patient records. The FBI is now investigating. Still, we're reminded once again that companies have very little incentive to really keep your records straight. It's almost reached the point where these stories are barely worth commenting on, since they're so common. There's something quite depressing when you realize that these sorts of data breaches are barely even newsworthy any more.

Filed Under: data breach, extortion, fbi, medical benefits
Companies: express scripts, fbi

Eleven Charged In Massive TJX Data Loss... But Many Are Still Overseas

from the this-is-hardly-over dept

We've had numerous posts about the massive (some say the largest ever) data breach by TJX, parent company of retailers like TJ Maxx and Marshalls. So, it's certainly worth mentioning the story making headlines that the "culprits" of the breach have been charged in the case, but it shouldn't exactly put your mind at ease about these breaches. After all, the credit card info they accessed (over 40 million cards by most accounts) is still out there, though many card holders have already changed their numbers. But, more importantly, it sounds as though most of those responsible aren't in the US at all and are basically sitting free in Eastern Europe and Asia. Hell, one of those "charged" is only known by his online username, with no indication where he might be located. So, yes, it's good that the feds tracked down some of the folks responsible, but most of them are probably still out there getting access to the credit cards your provider sent you to replace the ones compromised by these guys in the first place.

Filed Under: credit card theft, data breach, organized crime
Companies: tjx

That Didn't Take Long At All: Sears Sued For Data Breach

from the $5-million,-please dept

Well that didn't take very long at all. Late last week, it was revealed that Sears.com was revealing past purchases to anyone who knew your name, address and phone number -- a violation of Sears' own privacy policy. And, by Monday, we have a $5 million class action lawsuit against Sears. While I do think Sears made a huge mistake here, the class action lawsuit seems a bit extreme. There's no evidence that anyone was actually hurt by this -- and while it was a dumb move by Sears, it's not difficult to understand how it likely came about. Chances are Sears will settle this quickly just to get it out of the news, but really the only winners will be (as per usual) the lawyers.

Filed Under: class action, data breach, privacy
Companies: sears