Hackers used stolen credentials to access Home Depot computer system

Hackers used stolen credentials to access Home Depot computer system
(Image credit: Tim Boyle/Getty Images)

Hackers who targeted The Home Depot were able to get into the company's computer system by using a username and password stolen from a contractor, and ended up accessing even more information than first thought.

Starting in April, the hackers installed malware on self-checkout registers, and took information from 56 million credit and debit cards, USA Today reports. The Home Depot announced Thursday that the hackers were also able to get 53 million e-mail addresses, although the company says that they did not include passwords, credit card information, or personal information.

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Catherine Garcia, The Week US

Catherine Garcia has worked as a senior writer at The Week since 2014. Her writing and reporting have appeared in Entertainment Weekly, The New York Times, Wirecutter, NBC News and "The Book of Jezebel," among others. She's a graduate of the University of Redlands and the Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism.