The gift that keeps giving!

At least 45.7 million credit and debit card numbers were stolen by hackers who accessed the computer systems at the TJX Cos. at its headquarters in Framingham and in the United Kingdom over a period of several years, making it the biggest breach of personal data ever reported, according to security specialists.

While details are still sketchy, TJX said unauthorized software placed on its computer systems stole at least 100 files containing data on millions of accounts from systems that process and store transaction information in Framingham and Watford, United Kingdom. Moreover, TJX believes the hackers last year had the capability to steal payment card data from its Framingham system as transactions were being approved. Even the files TJX tried to protect through encryption may have been compromised because the company believes the hackers had access to the decryption tool.

The disclosure yesterday comes days after a ring of thieves was arrested in Florida and charged with using stolen credit card numbers to buy more than $8 million worth of gift cards and electronics, allegedly using data from TJX.

While TJX “thinks” this started in 2005, the worm may have been planted in their system as far back as 2002. Because the crooks stole the info on transactions – just before the data was normally destroyed, the amount of transaction data stolen appears to be a best guess – at a minimum number.



  1. Major Jizz says:

    That’s one of my favorite stores. 🙁

  2. Janky-o says:

    We don’t know who did it. We don’t know what was stolen. We don’t know how long it’s been going on. Our encryption didn’t work.

    Pretty cool!

  3. moss says:

    And maybe no one would have noticed till they caught a gang of script kiddies ripping off WalMart in Floriduh for TV’s and XBoxes. $8 million worth.

  4. BubbaRay says:

    Chuck Missler for moron of the century. Vote Now.
    Engineer? This guy is educated? Good Grief, Charlie Brown !!

    It’s religious zealots like this that have created more ignorance, perversion, strife, conflict and death than darned near anything for the last 3 millennia.

    Just my 2 new gold dollars worth.

  5. BubbaRay says:

    4, Well, cowboy, looks like your post made it to the wrong thread. Darned cowboy junk.

    My apologies for not posting to the correct thread.

  6. TJGeezer says:

    5 – That’s okay. Nominations for morons of the century can go anywhere, especially if they’re religious zealots.

  7. Don Wyeth says:

    I was a victim of CC and bank acct theft via ID Theft
    and the thief only got 8 years in jail. Hackers should get 20 years minimum with no parole to stop all this BS

  8. tallwookie says:

    Just one more reason to ban British stuff (stores, food/cooking, accents, etc)

  9. fred says:

    #8
    “Just one more reason to ban British stuff (stores, food/cooking, accents, etc)”

    Um … Brits don’t have accents – everybody else does. 🙂

    Just trying to prove once more that all things in life are relative.


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