Home Depot Acknowledges Breach of Payment Systems

Almost a week after public reports named Home Depot as a possible victim of a sophisticated cyber attack, the home improvement giant has acknowledged that it was hacked.

 

Home Depot issued a statement Monday acknowledging a hack of its payment systems. The breach dates to April, 2014, and affects stores in the US and Canada, Home Depot said.
Home Depot issued a statement Monday acknowledging a hack of its payment systems. The breach dates to April, 2014, and affects stores in the US and Canada, Home Depot said.

In a statement on Monday, Home Depot said that an internal investigation confirmed a “breach of our payment data systems” took place. The breach affects the company’s U.S. and Canadian stores, though not its Mexican locations or online transactions, the company said.

The incident also appears to have been long-lived. Home Depot estimates that the breach dates to April, 2014. The company did not say when it was finally shut down – though that date could be as late as July.

Home Depot has been investigating the incident since it was first disclosed by Brian Krebs at the blog Krebsonsecurity. Krebs was alerted to the incident after large quantities of stolen credit cards began appearing on cyber criminal forums. Sources at affected banks indicated that Home Depot was the common thread connecting the stolen accounts.

The company said it would pay for online identity monitoring services for any customers affected (that is: anyone who used a credit card at a Home Depot since April, 2014). The company provided a link to an online sign up for the service, which you can check out here.

Read Home Depot’s Statement here.

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