By now, chances are pretty good that you’ve received at least one e-mail message from some company informing you that your personal data (specifically your e-mail address) has been compromised in some way, as a result of a data breach at Epsilon.
So far, I have only received notification from Target, but I’ve heard reports that data from Amazon, Best Buy, Chase, Citi and many more major corporate entities was compromised.
Apparently, Epsilon is responsible for distributing most of the e-mail communications sent out by many, many different major corporations, so, if you’re signed up on anyone’s e-mail list, chances are pretty good that your e-mail address was harvested from Epsilon. Following is the communique I received from Target today.
Target’s email service provider, Epsilon, recently informed us that their data system was exposed to unauthorized entry. As a result, your email address may have been accessed by an unauthorized party. Epsilon took immediate action to close the vulnerability and notified law enforcement.
While no personally identifiable information, such as names and credit card information, was involved, we felt it was important to let you know that your email may have been compromised. Target would never ask for personal or financial information through email.
Consider these tips to help protect your personal information online:
- Don’t provide sensitive information through email. Regular email is not a secure method to transmit personal information.
- Don’t provide sensitive information outside of a secure website.Legitimate companies will not attempt to collect personal information outside a secure website. If you are concerned, contact the organization represented in the email.
- Don’t open emails from senders you don’t know.
We sincerely regret that this incident occurred. Target takes information protection very seriously and will continue to work to ensure that all appropriate measures are taken to protect personal information. Please contact [email protected] should you have any additional questions.
From which companies have you received notifications? What actions, if any, are you taking as a result of the notification?
One Response
I’ve received a dozen+ notifications – basically what they are saying is “too bad”…