Target's security system ignored early alert of cyber breach

Target Corp's security software reportedly detected the massive hack right when it started and yet it was only after two weeks and a warning from federal investigators, that it took necessary action to contain the breach.

The company has been trying to control the damage post the December security breach that put up to 40 million credit card numbers and 70 million more pieces of customer contact information in the hands of hackers.

The revelation came after Bloomberg Businessweek reported that Target had begun installing FireEye malware software six months before, and as soon as the hackers began uploading their code, alarms allegedly went off, the Verge reported.

An unnamed source said that on November 30, the hackers deployed their custom-made code, triggering a FireEye alert that indicated unfamiliar malware: malware.binary.

The source further disclosed that details soon followed, including addresses for the servers where the hackers wanted their stolen data to be sent and as the hackers inserted more versions of the same malware, following which the security system sent out more alerts, each the most urgent on FireEye's graded scale.