Kmart Credit Card Data Breach, Malware Threat: Chain Hit by Second Credit Card Breach in Under 3 Years
Kmart once again fell victim to another credit card breach, making it the second major security breach for the chain in three years.
Sears Holdings issued a statement on Wednesday confirming that they found unauthorized activity after a customer made a purchase at a Kmart store. As soon as the company was made aware of the attempt, they addressed the issue and contained the problem.
Speaking to NBC News, Howard Riefs, the spokesperson for Sears Holdings, shared that hackers attempted to break through their payment data systems using code that was not detectable by their antivirus.
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According to Kmart, they are working with the authorities and IT security specialists as well as their banking partners for this ongoing investigation.
"We are actively enhancing our defenses in light of this new form of malware. Data security is of critical importance to our company, and we continuously review and improve the safeguards that protect our data in response to changing technology and new threats," the company said in a statement.
While no personal identifying information, such as names, addresses, social security numbers, and contact information, was breached, the hackers may have been able to get their hands on certain credit card numbers. CEO of IDTheftSecurity.com Robert Siciliano is encouraging their patrons to check their credit card statements for any unauthorized activity.
iBoss Cybersecurity CEO Paul Martini also suggested that Kmart should not only focus on improving their antivirus system, but they should also have security measures that would prevent hackers from stealing data.
Customers may monitor their monthly statements or they could sign up for real-time text and email alerts which will notify them when the credit card is being used for purchases that exceed the certain amount that they set.
Catching these unauthorized purchases as soon as they are committed is important because consumers may not be liable for the activities if reported immediately.
