In 2013, Target suffered one of the costliest cyber attacks in retail history, impacting 70 million customers. The breach exposed 41 million payment cards and leaked the contact information of approximately 70 million individuals. This sophisticated cyber attack began with a spear phishing attempt aimed at a third-party vendor, leading to compromised network access. By installing malware on Target’s system, cybercriminals captured vast amounts of customer data over two months. The incident had profound consequences for Target, including the departure of their CEO. Financially, the breach led to fines of $18.5 million and an approximate total cost of $290 million to the company, covering remediation, consulting fees, and settlements. This example underscores the high stakes of cybersecurity in the retail sector and the critical importance of safeguarding against third-party vulnerabilities and maintaining robust protection measures.
Source: https://arcticwolf.com/resources/blog/10-major-retail-industry-cyber-attacks/
"id": "tar300050724",
"linkid": "target",
"type": "Cyber Attack",
"date": "03/2023",
"severity": "100",
"impact": "5",
"explanation": "Attack threatening the organization’s existence"