Thieves have stolen credit card data from up to 40m Target shoppers in a huge security breach that has underlined the continued vulnerability of big organisations to cybercriminals.
The theft could hardly have come at a worse time of year for the discount chain, one of the largest US retailers, which is locked in a battle for festive shoppers with rivals. The breach occurred between November 27 and December 15, a period that included the biggest shopping day of the year in the US, Black Friday.
On its website, Target urged customers to “remain vigilant?.?.?.?by regularly reviewing your account statements and monitoring free credit reports”.