Kmart stores become latest victims of data breach


Sears Holdings Corp., which owns Kmart, announced on Friday that customer credit and debit cards used at some Kmart retailers may have been vulnerable to a malicious software attack.
The company said in a statement that the breach appeared to have started in early September, and it was discovered by Kmart's IT team on Thursday. Kmart was quick to note that no personal information, such as debit PIN card numbers, email addresses, or social security numbers appeared to have been compromised. The company added that Kmart.com shoppers did not appear to have been impacted by the breach at all.
A spokesman for Sears declined to comment on the exact number of credit and debit cards affected, but he told The Wall Street Journal that the company is working with both the U.S. Secret Service and independent security firms to investigate the attack further. The company is also offering shoppers who have used their debit or credit cards at a Kmart over the past month free credit monitoring.
The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
Sarah Eberspacher is an associate editor at TheWeek.com. She has previously worked as a sports reporter at The Livingston County Daily Press & Argus and The Arizona Republic. She graduated from Northwestern University's Medill School of Journalism.
-
The Roses: Olivia Colman and Benedict Cumberbatch star in black comedy reboot
The Week Recommends 'Acidly enjoyable' remake of the 1980s classic features a warring couple and toxic love
-
Why reports of Donald Trump's demise are greatly exaggerated
In The Spotlight US president has once again brushed aside rumours that he's dead
-
Lose yourself in these magnificent mazes
The Week Recommends These fiendishly clever puzzles aren't just for kids
-
Florida erases rainbow crosswalk at Pulse nightclub
Speed Read The colorful crosswalk was outside the former LGBTQ nightclub where 49 people were killed in a 2016 shooting
-
Trump says Smithsonian too focused on slavery's ills
Speed Read The president would prefer the museum to highlight 'success,' 'brightness' and 'the future'
-
Trump to host Kennedy Honors for Kiss, Stallone
Speed Read Actor Sylvester Stallone and the glam-rock band Kiss were among those named as this year's inductees
-
White House seeks to bend Smithsonian to Trump's view
Speed Read The Smithsonian Institution's 21 museums are under review to ensure their content aligns with the president's interpretation of American history
-
Charlamagne Tha God irks Trump with Epstein talk
Speed Read The radio host said the Jeffrey Epstein scandal could help 'traditional conservatives' take back the Republican Party
-
CBS cancels Colbert's 'Late Show'
Speed Read 'The Late Show with Stephen Colbert' is ending next year
-
Shakespeare not an absent spouse, study proposes
speed read A letter fragment suggests that the Shakespeares lived together all along, says scholar Matthew Steggle
-
Roblox: new safety features leave kids 'at risk'
The Explainer Gaming platform loved by children has been plagued by explicit content and grooming