Home Depot admits 56 mln credit cards may have been compromised during hack attack

Weeks after it confirmed that it was a victim of a hacker attack, The Home Depot has now revealed that about 56 million credit cards may have been compromised in the attack.

A new press release issued by the company admitted how big the breach was. The number of credit cards that may have been compromised exceeds the 40 million that were accessed during the attack on Target last year, reported The Verge.

An investigation by the Home Depot showed that the attack took place between April and September this year and was the outcome of some "custom" malware that the company's security partners said they had never been used before.

The company also added that the shoppers on its website were safe and the malware in this hacker attack was embedded in the company's in-store payment systems. It also added that no debit card PIN numbers were compromised.

The Home Depot will be offering free credit-monitoring services for anyone who has shopped in a Home Depot store and used a credit or debit card from April 2014 forward.