Latest breach underscores need for cyber security

Hoffman Estates, Ill.--Less than a year after security slips rocked Target and Neiman Marcus during the holiday shopping season, Kmart announced Friday that it too has had its payment data systems breached.

The company said its investigation found that the breach started in early September.

Its payment data systems were infected with a form of malware undetectable to current anti-virus systems and “certain debit and credit card numbers have been compromised.” A company spokesperson said that they were unable to provide information regarding the number of customers or Kmart stores that were affected.

However, the retailer confirmed in a recent statement that so far, no personal information, debit card PIN numbers, email addresses or social security numbers have been obtained by those responsible for the breach.

Kmart is working with federal law enforcement authorities, banking partners and IT security firms to investigate, and also is offering free credit monitoring to customers who used a credit or debit card at Kmart stores during the month of September through Oct. 9, when the breach was found.

Last year, Target became the first of a few major retailers to get hit with a major security breach that compromised the confidential information of millions of shoppers, followed closely by Neiman Marcus and a number of others.

RELATED CONTENT: 21 digital security tips for retailers

Retailers are responsible for making sure that they’re doing all that they can to protect their customers’ information. Here are a few tips that can be followed to prevent a data breach.

1. Make sure that the merchant account with the banks being used to process sales is secure.
2. Ensure in-store equipment is loaded with anti-hacking, anti-virus software and/or hardware so that nothing on premises is corrupted, which is usually done with proper firewalls, data encryption and security hardware.
3. Make sure antivirus and operating systems are up to date with the latest software updates to provide the best protection against threats.
4. Since there generally isn’t one technology that will give all the protection needed against cybercrime, follow a “layered approach” to security and use a number of tactics.
5. Have a plan to deal with security breaches and other incidents should a data breach happen so the business isn’t left scrambling to deal with it afterward.
6. Avoid storing data unless absolutely necessary. If it’s necessary, businesses should follow PCI Security Standards Council guidelines.