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 Applications
    • Applications
    • Cybersecurity

    TJX Probes Slowly Crawl Along

    By
    Evan Schuman
    -
    March 15, 2007
    Share
    Facebook
    Twitter
    Linkedin

      The data breach case of $16 billion retailer TJX is crawling along, with this week delivering to us a handful of pseudo-developments. Those are things that sound like information, but examined closely tell us little new.

      The Federal Trade Commission, for example, confirmed that it has been investigating TJX, but wouldnt say what it has found nor when it started. This would only be news to someone who thought the FTC would not have investigated and that pretty much rules out anyone who understands Washingtons CYA mentality.

      Yes, the FTC will make some inquiries, take many months to mull it over and then quietly issue a fine that is near the top of their penalties, which is also coincidentally just shy of what TJX would consider a rounding error. Oh, and the FTC investigations details wont be published, probably under national security headings because it could help al-Qaeda attack the U.S. credit card business. (Snicker now, but just wait and see how close the FTC comes to that wording in six months.)

      Ahhhhh, but this country has checks and balances, no? The new majority in the U.S. House of Representatives has pledged to act and act quickly. Were now told by House staffers that the Energy and Commerce Committee is going to leap into action with hearings in “mid-to-late May” about a proposed data security bill.

      Great! So thats when congressional testimony will reveal the specifics of what happened with TJX, so the rest of the industry can protect itself, right? Well, actually, no. The FTC probe is giving Congress political cover to not investigate TJX, but the hearings will have lots of witnesses to say that data security really needs a lot of work. And money. Dont forget the money.

      Maybe, say the congressional aides, the committee will truly investigate TJX when the FTC probe is over.

      /zimages/1/28571.gifClick here to read more about the extent of the TJX data theft.

      Wait. All hope is not lost. What about all of those class-action lawsuits? Surely those depositions will start shedding light? Dont bet on it. Its going to take quite a few months before any of those depositions will be taken and, even then, lawyers will want to keep those details quiet until they can negotiate juicy settlements with TJX.

      Why? Theres only one thing TJX fears more than letting this case get to a jury: letting the full details get to its customers and investors. A last-minute settlement—with a hush clause—is quite likely. To not lose their leverage, lawyers will likely sit on those details as though theyre the crown jewels.

      What of our state governments? Theyre certainly above political or monetary considerations, right? The multi-state attorney general probe is proceeding, but details coming out are few. We did learn this week some of the not-yet-released states that are participating and that it does appear to be about 34 states involved.

      Beyond Massachusetts (which is in charge of the probe) and Rhode Island (which had launched its own probe before giving up and joining the group), states participating include: Alabama; Arkansas; Arizona; California; Colorado; Connecticut; Delaware; Florida; Washington, D.C. (OK, so its not really a state. Sue me); Hawaii (Probe em, Danno); Illinois; Maine; Maryland; Michigan; Mississippi; Missouri; Montana; Nebraska; Nevada; New Hampshire; New Jersey; New Mexico; North Carolina; North Dakota; Ohio; Oklahoma; Oregon; Pennsylvania (which many years ago proved its insightfulness by grabbing the only “attornegeneral.gov” domain. Everyone else has to add state initials to their domain); South Dakota; Tennessee; Texas; and Vermont.

      The Massachusetts case is apparently being run with the help of an all-volunteer executive committee, including representatives from the AG offices from Pennsylvania, Vermont, New Jersey, Arizona, Oregon, Ohio, Florida, Illinois, and California.

      Those states participating on the executive committee, one source said, often get a shot at additional money for their states. Thats part of the problem. The states have an incentive to negotiate financial arrangements to get money back to state residents, but little incentive to publicly detail the security procedure lapses that caused the breach to happen and, much more importantly, the disclosure of which might prevent similar ones from happening.

      Retail Center Editor Evan Schuman has tracked high-tech issues since 1987, has been opinionated long before that and doesnt plan to stop any time soon. He can be reached at Evan_Schuman@ziffdavis.com.

      To read earlier retail technology opinion columns from Evan Schuman, please click here.

      /zimages/1/28571.gifCheck out eWEEK.coms for the latest news, views and analysis on technologys impact on retail.

      Evan Schuman
      Evan Schuman is the editor of CIOInsight.com's Retail industry center. He has covered retail technology issues since 1988 for Ziff-Davis, CMP Media, IDG, Penton, Lebhar-Friedman, VNU, BusinessWeek, Business 2.0 and United Press International, among others. He can be reached by e-mail at Evan.Schuman@ziffdavisenterprise.com.
      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
      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
      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
      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.

      ×