Target's breach of security

Did Target have warnings before hackers stole 40 million debit and credit cards from its servers? Three WSJ reporters write that

At least one analyst at the Minneapolis-based retailer wanted to do a more thorough security review of its payment system, a request that at least initially was brushed off.

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The sheer volume of warnings that retailers receive makes it hard to know which to take seriously. Target has an extensive cybersecurity intelligence team, which sees numerous threats each week and could prioritize only so many issues at its monthly steering committee meetings, the former employee said.

The hackers, still unnamed, originally gained access to Target's network by stealing the access credentials of a refrigeration contractor in Pennsylvania. The contractor, Fazio Mechanical Services, has confirmed it was breached and is cooperating with the Secret Service investigation.

The attackers stole not only the card data, but personal information like phone numbers and email addresses for up to 70 million people.