Florida Struck With Three Cyber Attacks in One Week
Florida is turning into a hotbed of identity theft and credit card fraud. According to CNET, this week brought news of three major security breaches in Florida that have put the personal information of tens of thousands of regular citizens in danger.First, Best Buy discovered that an employee at a West Palm Beach location may have been using a device to skim data off of credit cards as they were being swiped for purchases. The retail chain released an advisory saying that up to 4,000 customers' credit card numbers may have been compromised. Needless to say, customers who shopped at Best Buy in November and December should pay close attention to their credit card bills, just in case.
In an even larger breach, the credit card data of up to 21,000 customers at Wyndham Hotels in Florida was siphoned off the company's servers by hackers. The breach was discovered months after the fact, during a "routine administrative review" (though clearly the reviews aren't routine enough). This theft is serious enough that the state Attorney General Bill McCollum has stepped in to urge consumers to pay especially close attention to their credit card statements in the coming months.
But those breaches pale in comparison to the failure of security systems at the University of Florida, where the records of 97,000 students and employees were compromised. The university immediately took the systems offline upon learning of the break-in, but have yet to figure out what data -- if any -- was actually stolen, or how the hacker obtained access to the system.
Security breaches seem to be the flavor of the year, so far. Comforting, no? [From: CNET]
Seven Security Breaches
45 Million Card Numbers Stolen from TJ Maxx and Marshall's
TJX Companies Inc., the umbrella corporation of TJ Maxx and Marshall's, was taken for over 45 million card numbers between 2004 and 2007. So much for those alleged TJ Maxx bargains.
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Thieves Snag 4.2 Million Credit Card Numbers from Supermarket Chain
Sometime between December, 2007 and February, 2008, data thieves -- infiltrating the credit card authorization system of Hannaford Brothers and Sweetbay grocery stores -- managed to obtain the information of 4.2 million cards. Close to 2,000 cases of fraud were reported.
17 New Yorkers Busted for ID Theft and Money Laundering
Back in 2007, the New York-based company Western Express International was found to be a powerful credit-card harvesting operation, responsible for trafficking 95,000 stolen card numbers. Seventeen employees were indicted.
More Than Four Million Health Records Breached in 2008
According to research firm DataLoss DB, 4.07 million individuals had their healthcare records compromised last year. We know at least two of them belonged to Britney Spears and Farrah Fawcett, and were sold by a California hospital worker.
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CardSystems Solutions Taken for 40 Million Accounts
Having snuck past the security systems of CardSystems Solutions, data thieves compromised around 40 million card accounts in 2005. No word on whether or not the company has considered changing the name to CardSystems Problems.
Hackers Who Stole Credit Card Numbers from Dave & Buster's Arrested
Last year, the Justice Department busted an international ring of hackers who had stolen an untold number of credit card numbers from the Dave & Buster's restaurant chain by installing software on the company's national servers. Reported losses were well in excess of $600,000.
11 Arrested in Theft of 41 Million Credit Card Numbers
In August of last year, Federal prosecutors charged 11 thieves in the U.S.A., former Soviet states and China with stealing 41 million credit cards' information. A Miami man, Albert Gonzalez, was charged as the group's mastermind.
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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
Felipe Andres said 2:16AM on 2-24-2009
you forgot to mention the one big one. State of Florida just recently stopped selling personal information to thrid parties. Law was passed years ago, they just stopped within the last few months. The sold our social security numbers, names, addresses, phone numbers. hell i bet they sold the information on what our farts smell like too.
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nick said 8:34AM on 2-24-2009
Now we know how all that money was generrated for the Obama campaign machine...
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Grantr said 3:58PM on 2-24-2009
Yeah, that's got to be how he raised campaign funds..., you inbred dumbass!
Scott said 10:20AM on 2-24-2009
People who steal identities should get a min of life in prison.Heck they hate to work so much it will be a win win.They will have to work for 10 cent an hour and service their cell mates at night.See what its like to lose everything they have.
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cheerzep03 said 9:50AM on 2-24-2009
As far as I've been told from the University of Florida (where I graduated from), the UF data leak shouldn't affect anyone affiliated with the school from 2003 to now. The leak was apparently of names and UF ID numbers. Post-2003, the UF ID numbers were randomly generated 8 digit codes, but prior to that, they were a students Social Securty Number, yikes! Luckily for me, I started in 2003, so I should be safe. But still, I would suggest all Gators keep an eye on their accounts and information!
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Prouddem said 11:03AM on 2-24-2009
See it all happened in Republi-con controlled State!
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Kathie said 11:25AM on 2-24-2009
Please Best Buy has gone through this before. We had the same thing happen to us here in GA back in 04. Employee doing the same thing. Best Buy never so much as said they were sorry, or anything to help us straighten out the situation. When we approached the store manager, he just turned and walked away. DON'T SHOP THERE....THAT'S HOW YOU SOLVE THE PROBLEM!!!!
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Doubtless24 said 12:40PM on 2-24-2009
It has nothing to do with it being a republican state, which has actually changed, in case you didn't see the election. Florida opted out with the personal information YEARS ago, not "just recently". Some of you talk like this has never happened in any other state. It probably has a lot to do with the fact that there is a very large senior population and that the unemployment rate is the highest it has been in years.
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Debbie said 12:43PM on 2-24-2009
My duaghter's Social Security Special Account was breached last month. I noticed several charges on her bank account in a different city-called the bank, and they took the charges off. Then they sent a letter to us that not only one account but both all 3 of the family's accounts had been affected, along with others at the bank. Now we have to check ALL our transactions for the last several months to see exactly what was stolen from them. It was Christmas and God only knows all the place we shopped!! We really didn't pay much attention as we all have check writing priveleges on each other's accounts in case something happens to one of us, or in case one of us needs something the other one doesn't have enough in the bank to cover at the time, or if one of us is out of checks or whatever!! Just how do they get into a bank's records anyway!?!?! You would think your bank card would be safe enough or they would check sigantures or something! We've done business with this bank in my extended family for over 70 years.
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ladama said 8:16PM on 2-26-2009
Well...Time to switch banks!!! I dont and wont trust anyone with info to my bank info, not even family!
Thats probable why you guys got caught up cause there were to many hands in each one of your cookie jars...
Learn from this and keep ur info to yourself!!!
ladamamika said 4:16PM on 2-24-2009
Well...Time to switch banks!!! I dont and wont trust anyone with info to my bank info, not even family!
Thats probable why you guys got caught up cause there were to many hands in each one of your cookie jars...
Learn from this and keep ur info to yourself!!!
Kim said 1:14PM on 2-24-2009
Prouddem @ Feb 24th 2009 11:03AM
See it all happened in Republi-con controlled State!........
That is probably one of the stupidest things I have ever heard!
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Pat said 1:48PM on 2-24-2009
Paying with cash......the safest way. No one can compromise you then. Cash speaks for itself.
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cut355 said 3:40PM on 2-24-2009
PEOPLE WHO DO THIS SHOULD GET A GOOD DEAL OF TIME IN JAIL, NO DEALS WITH THE DA' OFFICE. THE LONG TERM PROBLEM THEY CAUSE MOST HAVE NO IDEA. THE GOVERMENT WILL NOT HELP THOSE TAKEN BY THESE SCAMS, WHAT ELSE IS NEW. PRISON TIME IS THE ONLY WAY, NO BREAKS, GET 6 MONTHS FOR EVERY $500 YOU STEAL,NO MORE NO LESS. IF THIS IS YOU SECOUND TIME AROUND, GET 1.5 YEARS FOR EVERY 500 AND THIRD TIME AROUND GET 1 YEAR FOR EVERY PENNY YOU STEAL.
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Andrew said 6:34PM on 2-24-2009
Yea, Use cash, until someone mugs you and takes it all. Or you lose it somewhere. If that happens with a credit card, simply call and cancel and you get your money back.
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philip di russo said 10:59PM on 3-04-2009
i don't use idiot cards CASH OR I DON'T BUY UNLESS I USE MONEY ORDERS
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philip di russo said 11:06PM on 3-04-2009
EVERY DOLLAR STOLEN SHOULD BE REPAID BY GIVING THE CULPRIT 1 DAY IN JAIL FOR EACH DOLLAR STOLEN OR DEFRAUDED NO REPRIEVE OR TIME OFF FOR GOOD BEHAVIOR YOU DO THE TCRIME YOU DO THE TIME THATS IT
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