Attention Shoppers: Yet Another Major Company is in the Midst of a Data Breach

Keep Track of Your Financial Statements If You’ve Shopped at Staples Lately!

It seems like every time we read or watch the news, another major company is in the midst of a data breach – from Target to Michaels to Home Depot, and unfortunately, Staples can officially be added to the list! The popular retailer has confirmed that it’s investigating a potential data breach after multiple banks reported point-of-sale breaches across many of the retailer’s locations in the United States, including:

• 7 stores in Pennsylvania
• A minimum of 3 stores in New York
• A minimum of 1 store in New Jersey

While this might appear to be relatively minor breach, most breaches start out that way – and as new details surface, we’ll likely discover more and more affected locations. So what does a point-of-sale breach mean? Well, a point-of-sale breach occurs when a hacker installs malware onto a company’s point-of-sale machine (credit card reader).

Once the malware is installed, any consumer who’s swiped their card can become victim of financial fraud and/or theft, which means the security code and the name on the card are stolen, and could potentially be used to make fraudulent charges.

Mark Cautela, Staples Spokesman, discussed the potential breach, “Staples is in the process of investigating a potential issue involving credit card data and has contacted law enforcement.”

He continued, “We take the protection of customer information very seriously and are working to resolve the situation. If Staples discovers an issue, it’s important to note that customers are not responsible for any fraudulent activity on their credit cards that is reported on a timely basis.”

Have YOU Shopped at Staples in the Past Few Months? Follow These Simple Yet Effective Tips Immediately to Mitigate the Risks of Fraud and/or Theft!

If you’re someone who regularly shops with a credit card, you should start preparing yourself for more potential data breaches. Why? It seems hackers have found effective techniques and tactics to hack point-of-sale systems. So here’s a few simple tips to mitigate the risks of fraud and/or theft:

• Try to use cash instead of a credit card: One of the simplest, perhaps the most effective tips is to use cash instead of a credit card whenever possible.
• Take advantage of free credit monitoring: If you’ve shopped at an affected location, you might be entitled to free credit monitoring, take advantage of it!
• Check your financial statements on a regular basis: Always, even if you haven’t shopped at affected locations, check your financial statements on a regular basis.
• Watch out for phishing attacks: If any information was stolen, cybercriminals may use bits & pieces of that information to lure you in; make sure you do not open any suspicious links in emails.
• Consider freezing your credit report: If you’re especially concerned, freeze your credit report to block the process of issuing credit, in order to prevent financial theft.

Still feeling concerned about the data breach? Give us a call at (604) 986-8170 or send us an email at info@compunet.ca. Our team of cybersecurity experts will keep you up-to-date on the latest news regarding the data breach.

Author: Joe Martin, Date: 2014-10-22