Target's Recent Data Breach Included the Personal Information of 70 Million Customers

The security situation with Target, which has been ongoing since late November of last year, is getting worse.

According to another announcement made by the retailer itself, the personal information of over 70 million shoppers (previously 40 million) has been compromised in the recent debit/credit card breach. The information previously thought to be secure now includes the names, mailing addresses, phone numbers, and email addresses of affected customers.

“I know that it is frustrating for our guests to learn that this information was taken and we are truly sorry they are having to endure this,” Gregg Steinhafel, chairman, president and chief executive officer at Target, said in a statement.

“I also want our guests to know that understanding and sharing the facts related to this incident is important to me and the entire Target team.”

This reveal is just the latest in a series of blows made to Target, who late last year suffered a security breach from hackers who stole what was believed to be 40 million debit and credit card numbers. At the time, Target was under the impression that only cards with transactions made in physical Target stores between November 27 and December 15 were affected. They also claimed that the information was well-encrypted when it was taken, and the information was, relatively speaking, believed to be unusable for the most part.

Not long after, the stolen information was posted on the black market, as reports indicated that a “ten-to-twenty-fold increase” had occurred since the breach. So clearly, still a lot of issues to resolve here.

If you were affected by what we’re referring to as TargetGate, you can reach out to Target’s customer service support here. Target will be offering one year of free credit protection to “All Target guests,” and you can find out more about your options here.