Target's massive customer data breach could affect 110 mn people

Data breach experienced by retailer giant Target is reportedly much broader than once believed and is believed to affect almost 110 million people.

The retailer said that the information compromised in December's payment card data attack included names, phone numbers, and postal and e-mail addresses, and could affect up to one-third of the US population.

According to Cnet, information on as many as 70 million additional customers had been stolen in the breach and there could be some overlap with the approximately 40 million people first said to be affected by the attack.

Chairman, president and chief executive officer at Target, Gregg Steinhafel said that it is frustrating for the guests to learn that the information was taken and he apologized for the breach.

Post the mega-data breach; the hackers put the information on the black market as a "ten-to-twentyfold increase" in stolen cards available on underground markets was reported soon after.

The nation-wide retailer said that affected customers would suffer no liability for any fraudulent charges and they would also offer one free year of credit monitoring and identity theft protection, the report added.