Dive Brief:
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U.S. Senators Edward Markey (D-MA) and Richard Blumenthal (D-CT) said the Federal Trade Commission should investigate whether Home Depot failed to protect customers’ data in light of the breach to its payment systems, which investigators say likely occurred as early as April.
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Attorneys general from five U.S. states — Connecticut, California, Illinois, New York, and Iowa — announced they are coordinating an investigation into the breach and have been in touch with the retailer.
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Finally, an Illinois customer has sued the home-improvement retailer in a Chicago federal court, saying the company failed to protect customer data.
Dive Insight:
The recent retail breach by cyber thieves, just acknowledged this week by Home Depot, appears to be more extensive than what occurred at Target last year.
With this new development, there appears to be a feeling from some government officials, lawmakers, and customers that retailers should have learned from Target’s experience and taken steps to prevent another cyber break-in. That feeling apparently extends to the credit-rating agencies as well: Officials from Standard & Poor’s and Moody’s both noted they are keeping an eye on the unfolding situation.
