Close
  • Latest News
  • Artificial Intelligence
  • Big Data and Analytics
  • Cloud
  • Networking
  • Cybersecurity
  • Applications
  • IT Management
  • Storage
  • Sponsored
  • Mobile
  • Small Business
  • Development
  • Database
  • Servers
  • Android
  • Apple
  • Innovation
  • Blogs
  • PC Hardware
  • Reviews
  • Search Engines
  • Virtualization
Read Down
Sign in
Close
Welcome!Log into your account
Forgot your password?
Read Down
Password recovery
Recover your password
Close
Search
Logo
Logo
  • Latest News
  • Artificial Intelligence
  • Big Data and Analytics
  • Cloud
  • Networking
  • Cybersecurity
  • Applications
  • IT Management
  • Storage
  • Sponsored
  • Mobile
  • Small Business
  • Development
  • Database
  • Servers
  • Android
  • Apple
  • Innovation
  • Blogs
  • PC Hardware
  • Reviews
  • Search Engines
  • Virtualization
More
    Home Cybersecurity
    • Cybersecurity
    • Blogs
    • Security Watch

    Target Is the Victim of a Crime; Don’t Forget That

    By
    Sean Michael Kerner
    -
    March 6, 2014
    Share
    Facebook
    Twitter
    Linkedin
      Target Breach

      Retail giant Target lost its CIO, Beth Jacob, on March 5. The story is that Jacob resigned after being at the company 12 years.

      Target, of course, is at the center of the largest retail data breach in recent memory. On Dec. 9, Target reported that 40 million credit and debit cards were compromised in a data breach. That number expanded to more than 70 million in a subsequent disclosure from Target in January.

      While much of the focus ever since the data breach was first disclosed has been to look at where Target may have failed, I think it’s critically important to remember here that Target is the victim.

      Someone, or some hacker group, stole from Target. Target did not steal from its own customers or willingly give information to attackers; Target was attacked and is the victim of a crime here.

      In most crimes of which I’m aware, the victim doesn’t take blame and doesn’t need to stand up and apologize for being a victim.

      Yet that’s what has happened with the Target data breach. Target has apologized for being a victim, and the resignation of Jacob is just the latest step in that apology. Surely, there needs to be accountability and the CIO does inevitably have some responsibility to bear, but still Target is the victim.

      For the 12 years Jacob was at Target she, no doubt, did the best job she could. Considering that to the best of my knowledge Target was not the victim of a data breach at any point in the last 12 years and did not suffer any other major IT meltdown, Jacob did an admirable job.

      If you leave the keys in your car with the doors unlocked and your car is stolen, are you at fault? Yeah, you’re not a genius, but the car thief is still the criminal.

      I’m not saying that’s exactly what happened in the Target case, and that no one was minding the cash register. We still do not definitively know what precisely happened at Target though there is widespread speculation. The general speculation is that some form of memory scraping malware was present and that somehow magnetic card strips also played a role.

      The Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard (PCI DSS) includes multiple layers of provisions that are intended to protect retailers and their customers from data breaches. At some point, Target was PCI DSS-compliant, and the general speculation is that, at some juncture, they fell out of compliance, which is how the breach occurred.

      Overall, though, the fact that the CIO of Target had to metaphorically fall on her sword should serve as a very cautionary tale for all IT security professionals. Even though Target is the victim here, it is also responsible for its own security and the security of its customers.

      IT security professionals and now even the CIO in organizations will be held accountable for data breaches, and as such, an exceptional level of diligence and rigor will be required to provide real security. For IT execs, security is no longer a feature or an operational imperative; it is now quite literally a critical component of staying employed.

      Sean Michael Kerner is a senior editor at eWEEK and InternetNews.com. Follow him on Twitter @TechJournalist.

      Sean Michael Kerner
      Sean Michael Kerner is an Internet consultant, strategist, and contributor to several leading IT business web sites.
      Get the Free Newsletter!
      Subscribe to Daily Tech Insider for top news, trends & analysis
      This email address is invalid.
      Get the Free Newsletter!
      Subscribe to Daily Tech Insider for top news, trends & analysis
      This email address is invalid.

      MOST POPULAR ARTICLES

      Latest News

      Zeus Kerravala on Networking: Multicloud, 5G, and...

      James Maguire - December 16, 2022 0
      I spoke with Zeus Kerravala, industry analyst at ZK Research, about the rapid changes in enterprise networking, as tech advances and digital transformation prompt...
      Read more
      Applications

      Datadog President Amit Agarwal on Trends in...

      James Maguire - November 11, 2022 0
      I spoke with Amit Agarwal, President of Datadog, about infrastructure observability, from current trends to key challenges to the future of this rapidly growing...
      Read more
      Cloud

      IGEL CEO Jed Ayres on Edge and...

      James Maguire - June 14, 2022 0
      I spoke with Jed Ayres, CEO of IGEL, about the endpoint sector, and an open source OS for the cloud; we also spoke about...
      Read more
      IT Management

      Intuit’s Nhung Ho on AI for the...

      James Maguire - May 13, 2022 0
      I spoke with Nhung Ho, Vice President of AI at Intuit, about adoption of AI in the small and medium-sized business market, and how...
      Read more
      Applications

      Kyndryl’s Nicolas Sekkaki on Handling AI and...

      James Maguire - November 9, 2022 0
      I spoke with Nicolas Sekkaki, Group Practice Leader for Applications, Data and AI at Kyndryl, about how companies can boost both their AI and...
      Read more
      Logo

      eWeek has the latest technology news and analysis, buying guides, and product reviews for IT professionals and technology buyers. The site’s focus is on innovative solutions and covering in-depth technical content. eWeek stays on the cutting edge of technology news and IT trends through interviews and expert analysis. Gain insight from top innovators and thought leaders in the fields of IT, business, enterprise software, startups, and more.

      Facebook
      Linkedin
      RSS
      Twitter
      Youtube

      Advertisers

      Advertise with TechnologyAdvice on eWeek and our other IT-focused platforms.

      Advertise with Us

      Menu

      • About eWeek
      • Subscribe to our Newsletter
      • Latest News

      Our Brands

      • Privacy Policy
      • Terms
      • About
      • Contact
      • Advertise
      • Sitemap
      • California – Do Not Sell My Information

      Property of TechnologyAdvice.
      © 2022 TechnologyAdvice. All Rights Reserved

      Advertiser Disclosure: Some of the products that appear on this site are from companies from which TechnologyAdvice receives compensation. This compensation may impact how and where products appear on this site including, for example, the order in which they appear. TechnologyAdvice does not include all companies or all types of products available in the marketplace.

      ×