The Mysterious Unidentified Retailer In The TJX Indictments
Written by Evan SchumanAugust 8th, 2008
When federal officials unveiled on Tuesday (Aug. 5) indictments against 11 global cyber thieves accused of data raids against TJX and several other major retail chains, the retail chain that was potentially the most pivotal in ending the multi-national bits-and-bytes bonanza was kept out of the filings.
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5 Comments | Read The Mysterious Unidentified Retailer In The TJX Indictments
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August 8th, 2008 at 6:32 am
This mystery merchant catches the theives and still does not change their plans to update their equipment any faster? This is just the beginning, if one set of people have figured it out, there will be more. 2 years are like centuries in our automated information world. People will make mistakes and other people will find them and exploit them. Hire more people and get this taken care of quicker, it will save all of us money in the long run.
August 8th, 2008 at 2:29 pm
There could be a possibility that the mystery merchant is being used by the authorities as a “Honey Pot”
August 8th, 2008 at 4:44 pm
Editor’s Note: That honey pot scenario is one we explored. At this point, it seems to not be the case. Then again, if it is, we’re the last ones they would tell.
August 8th, 2008 at 7:25 pm
Well, given the time after TJX was breached and when one of my cards was used I bet my card was one of the ones used. Where the card was used, in a part of Florida I’ve never been to, makes me wonder if the merchant there indicates anything. Not that I would say who, but I could see why no one would want the info out there that they are still updating.
I wish I were more sure of the timeline of the thing.
BTW, the card company called and I was fine except for the annoyance of a new card etc.
August 14th, 2008 at 12:34 pm
It is important that the mystery retailer seems to have been the only one that paid some strict attention to wireless security and is continuing to update its POS systems. However, it would be interesting to know what perimeter security it was using since legacy equipment can be secured with almost complete success using an overlay wireless intrusion prevention system (WIPS)- and yes, AirTight sells WIPS, but it developed its patented method because there was a need for it as the use of wireless grew and what infrastructure providers had bundled into their products was not enough. The question for the enterprise is no longer how do I keep wireless out, but rather how do I harness its benefits and efficiencies while protecting my networks. Because retail works on such tight margins, it appears that too often the cost/benefits analysis has come down on the side of taking the risk. The cost of a breach always exceeds the cost of security, so that decision is a bad one.