Forget NSA, how do Target, a motel, & whoever find my e-addy I didn't provide them? [View all]

[UTUSN]

Besides this one from Target, where I made a small, cash, no cards transaction, I got an e-mail from a lodging asking for a survey. I wasn't asked for & didn't volunteer an e-addy by either one. Yeah, I use one of the giant/free outlets for e-mail, or maybe this is already t.m.i. This is a sincere question, about how they get the e-addys.


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(e-mail sent to me: )

[font size=5]Important message from Target to our guests
Dear Target Guest,[/font]

As you may have heard or read, Target learned in mid-December that criminals forced their way into our systems and took guest information, including debit and credit card data. Late last week, as part of our ongoing investigation, we learned that additional information, including name, mailing address, phone number or email address, was also taken. I am writing to make you aware that your name, mailing address, phone number or email address may have been taken during the intrusion.

I am truly sorry this incident occurred and sincerely regret any inconvenience it may cause you. Because we value you as a guest and your trust is important to us, Target is offering one year of free credit monitoring to all Target guests who shopped in U.S. stores, through Experian’s® ProtectMyID® product which includes identity theft insurance where available. To receive your unique activation code for this service, please go to creditmonitoring.target.com and register before April 23, 2014. Activation codes must be redeemed by April 30, 2014.

In addition, to guard against possible scams, always be cautious about sharing personal information, such as Social Security numbers, passwords, user IDs and financial account information. Here are some tips that will help protect you:
Never share information with anyone over the phone, email or text, even if they claim to be someone you know or do business with. Instead, ask for a call-back number.

Delete texts immediately from numbers or names you don’t recognize.
Be wary of emails that ask for money or send you to suspicious websites. Don’t click links within emails you don’t recognize.

Target’s email communication regarding this incident will never ask you to provide personal or sensitive information.
Thank you for your patience and loyalty to Target. You can find additional information and FAQs about this incident at our Target.com/databreach website. If you have further questions, you may call us at 866-852-8680.
Gregg Steinhafel

Chairman, President and CEO


http://www.nydailynews.com#ixzz2qlpTIIQz

[font size=5] PICTURED: The 17-year-old Russian national accused of selling the malware cyberhackers used to steal credit card information from up to 110 million Target customers and more at Neiman Marcus[/font]

Security firm IntelCrawler posted that the teen sold the software responsible for breaching security at the retailers and affecting as many as 110 million Target customers alone.

From Russia, with malware.

A 17-year-old Russian national from St. Petersburg was responsible for the malicious programing that allowed for data from Target and Neiman Marcus to be compromised, according to a California-based security firm.

IntelCrawler said in a blog post Friday that it identified the creator, who they said wasn't responsible for the security breaches of the two retailers, but rather sold the software to cybercriminals throughout Eastern Europe.

The company's CEO, Andrew Komarov, said it was possible for Target and Neiman Marcus to be hacked after the software tried several easy passwords to remotely hack the stores' registers, and added that the malware, called BlackPOS, has been downloaded some 60 times.

Target's security breach following a Black Friday shopping blitz affected up to 110 million customers. However, Neiman Marcus has yet to reveal how many shoppers were affected, or what kind of data was taken. ....

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