Arts and crafts retailer Michaels reports possible data breach

Okay folks... I chose this forum carefully because this isn't a one off thing here and it's starting to get downright disturbing...

First, this most recent story, out today..

BOSTON - Michaels, the biggest U.S. arts and crafts retailer, said on Saturday it is working with federal law enforcement officials to investigate a possible data breach on its systems that process payment cards.

"We are concerned there may have been a data security attack on Michaels that may have affected our customers' payment card information and we are taking aggressive action to determine the nature and scope of the issue," Chief Executive Chuck Rubin said in a statement emailed to Reuters.

Now I'm starting to question, seriously here, how safe it is to use any cards for anything. Cash has always been my personal favorite and issues with loan shar....err...credit card companies hasn't been real positive in my direct experience. However, this is getting ridiculous...

If the company's suspicions are confirmed, Irving, Texas-based Michaels would become the third major U.S. retailer to be identified as a victim of a cyber attack since the middle of last month. Target Corp reported an unprecedented breach over the holiday shopping season and luxury chain Neiman Marcus disclosed that it suffered a smaller attack.

The FBI last week cautioned retailers to prepare for more attacks, saying it expects that hackers will succeed in using similar techniques to break into networks at other chains.

Source: Duluth News Tribune

Prepare for more? More will do this? Okay...so what's the best solution for a consumer? Just leave the cards at home entirely?

For the longest time, it's been the realm of the older folks to laugh at the Internet for shopping, out of well placed fears in the past over security of transactions and data. However, these aren't internet issues for point of sale. These are brick and mortar stores compromised with actual customers buying things inside the physical store...finding out they got burned later. Sometimes, much later.

So, whats the deal? As it starts to form a pattern with many 10's of millions to be victimized here ..I have to wonder? Is there a conspiracy afoot? Why the lack of aggressive pursuit by authority in preventing, not simply reaction to what is directly impacting a good % of the U.S. population at this stage??

I do wonder...at this stage.

Related:

Neiman Marcus Data Breach Worse Than First Said

Target: Data breach caught up to 70M customers

cash is worthless too get gold, a gps, bury it and put the coordinates in a lotto ticket

Oh wait that was BB scratch that

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CC are used by millions without any problem worldwide be less paranoid and live happier Governments knows having money its useless and that's why they get so much debt, regular people should live like rich ones in a endless ponzi scheme living out of debt too.

Cash is king.

But not for long.

This problem is only going to get worse and worse as we get deeper and deeper into a cashless society. We've all seen this problem coming down the pipeline for years. For every new "security" measure banks and businesses take to try to protect their systems, 10 more new ways of hacking through it will develop.

I forsee the eventual doing away with cards and passwords altogether.

It'll be fingerprints, retina scanning, and RFID chips... there'll be no choice in the matter.



*sigh*

We are our own worst enemies.

Like 911 it's no doubt an inside job from our own system.The idea is as expressed above.

reply to post by Wrabbit2000


Good points all around.

It seems these stories are a blip on the news too. No dot connecting. I guess they are too busy with Christy, bridgegate, and 2016. You know, important s***.

I could say I am surprised it took so long for something like this to happen. I wish I could say I am surprised the FBI is not on this knee-deep but they are all about terrorists now.

I do not like it. I know cash is FIAT and all that but at least it leaves less of a signature.

It is almost like a grand 'solution' is not far away.