Data breach at department stores compromises customer info: report

Shoppers at a trio of department store chains may have had their personal information compromised after a data breach of Hudson’s Bay Company’s payment system.

The Associated Press reported Sunday that hackers stole customer information from systems connected to Saks Fifth Avenue, Saks Off Fifth and Lord & Taylor. Each company is owned by Hudson’s Bay, which is based in Canada.

A New York-based security firm said there’s evidence the data breach began about a year ago and that the hacking group responsible has previously targeted major hotel and restaurant chains. 

{mosads}The parent company did not say how many customers or stores were affected, but said there’s no indication the data breach affected online shopping sites or other brands, the AP reported. 

The company will reportedly offer free credit monitoring services to affected customers.

Saks Fifth Avenue, Saks Off Fifth and Lord & Taylor are the latest companies to fall victim to data breaches.

An Uber executive testified before Congress earlier this year to answer questions about a breach that compromised the data of 57 million people who use the ride-sharing app.

Equifax announced last month it had identified 2.4 million victims of its massive 2017 data breach that were not previously counted in the number of people affected by the hack.

Meanwhile, Facebook is under intense scrutiny after it was revealed last month that data firm Cambridge Anaytica had access to millions of users’ information without their permission. Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg is expected to testify before Congress later this month to respond to address the issue.