TJX Data Breach - At Least 45.6 Million Cards Exposed

Via ComputerWorld.com -

March 29, 2007 (Computerworld) -- After more than two months of refusing to reveal the size and scope of its data breach, TJX Companies Inc. is finally offering more details about the extent of the compromise.

In filings with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission yesterday, the company said 45.6 million credit and debit card numbers were stolen from one of its systems over a period of more than 18 months by an unknown number of intruders. That number eclipses the 40 million records compromised in the mid-2005 breach at CardSystems Solutions and makes the TJX compromise the worst ever involving the loss of personal data.

In addition, personal data provided in connection with the return of merchandise without receipts by about 451,000 individuals in 2003 was also stolen. The company is in the process of contacting individuals affected by the breach, TJX said in its filings.

"Given the scale and geographic scope of our business and computer systems and the time frames involved in the computer intrusion, our investigation has required a substantial period of time to date and is not completed," the company said.

...

"In addition, the technology used by the intruder has, to date, made it impossible for us to determine the contents of most of the files we believe were stolen in 2006," the company said. It did not elaborate on the technology it was referring to.

"We are continuing to try to identify information stolen in the computer intrusion through our investigation, but other than the information provided ... we believe that we may never be able to identify much of the information believed stolen," TJX said.

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So bascially, they are only counting the cards that are known FOR SURE to be stolen...yet the real number may never be known...and sadly the hacker/hackers will most likely never be found.

Just to give you some scope. Here are some interesting numbers

Population of Canada - 33 Million
Population of Spain - 40 Million
Population of Italy - 58 Million
Population of Turkey - 70 Million
Population of Mexico - 107 Million
Population of Russia - 142 Million
Population of USA - 298 Million