Target Data Breach

About

The Target data breach, which occurred in late 2013, is one of the most significant cyber attacks in U.S. history. It compromised the credit and debit card information of approximately 40 million customers and exposed personal data, including names, addresses, phone numbers, and email addresses, of up to 70 million customers. The breach began when attackers used a phishing scam to obtain credentials from Fazio Mechanical Services, a third-party HVAC vendor for Target. These credentials allowed them to access Target's network and install malware on point-of-sale systems. The malware, known as BlackPOS, captured card information before it was encrypted, making it accessible to the attackers. Despite security warnings from software like FireEye, Target failed to respond promptly, allowing the breach to continue until the U.S. Department of Justice notified them on December 12, 2013. The breach led to significant financial losses for Target, with reported costs of $248 million, and damaged customer confidence, contributing to a 46% drop in profits during the fourth quarter of 2013. The incident highlighted the importance of robust third-party risk management and network segmentation in preventing such breaches.