The biggest retail hack in U.S. history wasr't particularty kwentive, nor did it appeard success In the days prio payments systesm designed to steal every credit card used at the company's 1,797 US stores, At the critical moment-wihens the Christmas gilts had been scanned and swipe-the malware would step in, capture the shopper's credt card numbe, and stare it an a Target server commandeered by the hackers. and to Thanksgiving 2013, someone instaled nah are in Target's security ar bagged and the cashier asked for a It's a measure of haw common these crimes have become, and haw coventional the haces' h in this case, that Target was prepared for such an atlack. S months earliet, the compamy began installing a $1.6 milion malware detection tool made by the computer security fim ireEye approach in this case, that Target was prepared for such an whase customers also include the ClA and the Pemagon. Target had a team of security speclaists Target's security operatians center in Minneapolis wouid s around the dock If Bangalcre noticed anything suspicious be notifiled On Saturday, Nov. 30, 2013, the hackors had set their traps and had just one thing to do before starting the attack plan the data's escape route. As they uplobdled exfiltration malware to stolen credit card numbers-first to staing points sproad around the U.S to cover their tracks, then Into thelr compoters in Russla-Firefye spoted them. Bangalore got an alert and nagged the security team in Minneapolis. And then Nothing Happened! For some reason, Minneapolis didn't react to the sirens. Bloomberg Businessweek spoke to more than 10 former Target employees famiar with the company's data security operation, as well as eight people with specific knowledge of the hack and its aftermath, including famer employees, security researchers, and law enfortiment officials. The story they tell is af an alert system, installed to pro- tect the band between retailer and astomer, that worked beautifully. But then, Target stood by as 40 milion credit card numbers and 70 million addresses, phone ounbers, and other pleces of per- sonal i out of its malnframes. When asked to respond to a list of specific questions about the incident and the company's lack of an inmediaie response to t, Target chairman, president, and chief executive ofticar Gregg Steinhaiel ssued an emaited statement: "Target was certied as meeting the standard for the pay- ment card industry (PCI in September 2013. Nonetheless, we suffered a data breach, Asreut, we are conducting ap end-lo-end review of our peaple, processes and technology to understand our opportunities to limprove data security and are committed to eaning from this experience. While we are still in the midst of an ongoing investigation, we hawe areedy taken significant steps, including begining the owerhaul of our information securlty structure and he acceleration of our transition to chip-enabled cards. Howeve, as the iwestigation is not complate, we don't beleve it's constructive to engage in speculation without the benefit of the inal anelysis More than 90 lasuits have been filed against Target by custamers and banks for negligence and compensatory damages. That's on top of other costs, which analysts estmate could run into the billons. Target spent $61 millian through Febnuary 1,2014, responding to the breach, according to s ourth-quarter report to imestors, It set up a customer response operation, and in an efort to regan ost trust, Steinhafel promsed that consumers won't have to pay any fraudulent charges stomming from the breach Target's profit for the holiday shopping period fel 46 pertent from the same quar- ter the year before the number of transactions sulfered ins biggest clecine since the retaler began reporting the staustic in 200815 Questions How did the hackers stoal Target's customer data? What types of technology could big retailers use to prevent identty thieves from steaing intomation? What can organizatlons do to protect themseves from hackers loolking to steal account data? In a team, research the Internet and find the best ways to protect yourself from identity theft. Questions 1. dentiy the different types of hackers and viruses and explain how a compay can protect itself 2. Authorities frequently tap onine service providers to track down hackers Do you think it is ethical 3. Do you think it was ethical for authortes to use one of the high-ranking members to trap other 4 In a team, research the Intenet and find the best ways to protect yourself from identity theft fram hackers locking to steal account data. for authorities to tap an onine service provider and road people's emat? Why or why o? gang members? Why ar wihry not