I was reading on the BBC Technology web site earlier about hackers who had stolen information from at least 45.7 million payment cards used by customers of US retailer TJX, which owns TJ Maxx, and UK outlet TK Maxx.
Hackers managed to access information from its TJ Maxx, Marshalls and HomeGoods shops in the US and Puerto Rico, Bob’s Stores in the US, and Winners and HomeSense shops in Canada. The security breach may also have involved TKMaxx customers in the UK and Ireland.
This follows on from another story which hit the headlines last year when a laptop containing personal customer details was stolen from a Nationwide employee.
This is a worrying trend to think that this kind of information can get into the wrong hands. An individual could be following all the guidelines to avoid identity fraud, such as shredding sensitive data like bank statements and utility bills, but all this could be for nothing if the information is stolen at ‘source’.
Hopefully these incidents are few and far between. Of course we don’t know how many other cases go unreported. It’s good that TJX have publicly admitted this and are now taking steps to prevent this type of event occurring again. I hope that other companies are listening and don’t become complacent with regards to computer security.
The onus is on both us as individuals, and on companies, to remain vigilent.
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2 responses so far ↓
1 Jim // Apr 23, 2007 at 8:46 pm
Know what is happening around you. The number of identity theft victims is growing every year. The good news is that support and resources for victims of identity theft are also on the rise.
identity theft
2 Dean // Apr 24, 2007 at 7:30 am
Thanks for the link to the web site. Some useful resources there.
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