US retailer, Walmart, has confirmed that it suffered a data breach. This follows reports that a number of its customers had their payment cards compromised and bank accounts emptied. It appears that one store was affected in either March or April, with the suspects believed to have placed overlay devices on credit card readers at the checkouts. The company said that as part of an investigation into this incident, Walmart is working closely with law enforcement agencies around the world. The situation underlines the need for the US to move away from using payment cards with magnetic stripe data and shift towards chip-enabled cards.
US retailer, Walmart, has confirmed that it suffered a data breach. This follows reports that a number of its customers had their payment cards compromised and bank accounts emptied. It appears that one store was affected in either March or April, with the suspects believed to have placed overlay devices on credit card readers at the checkouts. In cases like these, criminals typically target self-checkout lanes because they are not actively monitored. The situation underlines the need for the US to move away from using payment cards with magnetic stripe data and shift towards chip-enabled cards.