Hackers have broken into 51 of United Parcel Service, Inc. (NYSE:UPS)’s franchises in 24 states, stealing customer data. The shipping company made the announcement on its website, saying the government had notified it of a “broad-based malware intrusion targeting retailers in the United States.” The fact that it includes the broader description of “retailers” makes it worth questioning just how many companies were hit. There have been other recent reports of retailers being hit as well, and the list could grow.
Details on the UPS data breach
UPS said hackers may have stolen customer information, including their names, addresses, email addresses and payment information. However, the company also said that not all of the information may have been exposed for those who used a credit or debit card at one of the locations that was impacted. Currently, UPS said it is unaware of any reports of fraud in connection with the data breach.
The shipping company has published a list of all the locations that were invaded by hackers. The company said the list was about 1% of its total number of franchised centers in the U.S. Along with giving a list of the locations, UPS provided the date of the malware intrusion and the date when transactions became secure again.
Months to fix the problem
Unfortunately it has apparently taken months for the intrusion to be detected and fixed. The date of the first data breach was Jan. 20, but the issue was not fixed until Aug. 11. Most of the locations that were affected were exposed between March 26 and Aug. 11.
The UPS Store is offering identity protection and credit monitoring services to customers who were impacted by the data breach. Those who believe their information was exposed should visit the webpage UPS has devoted to the data breach at theupsstore.allclearid.com. The shipping company also recommends that those who visited the impacted locations keep a close eye on their credit reports and payment information.
Other reported data breaches
This week U.S. hospital chain Community Health Systems (NYSE:CYH) also said hackers stole the information of 4.5 million patients. And last week, grocery store chain SUPERVALU INC. (NYSE:SVU) also reported a data breach. It’s unclear at this point if any more companies will come forward and admit to data breaches.
It seems as if hackers are becoming bolder and bolder, as these latest retail hacks follow closely on the heels of the data breaches that affected Target Corporation (NYSE:TGT) and other retailers late last year.
