Dive Brief:

• Target Corp. said last week that it initially ignored signs of a data breach — detection of the malware that would eventually be pinned as the source of the crime — that late last year resulted in a massive theft of customer credit card and personal information.

• In its annual report, Target Corp. acknowledges that the cyber-breach from last November has dented its image, spurred lawsuits, and hurt business, and that the financial damage is difficult to assess and is ongoing.

• Sales, revenues, and shares have all fallen since the theft. Q4 sales fell 46% and revenue fell 5.3%.

Dive Insight:

Target is now facing the sting of hindsight and is learning that the suspicious activity it detected on its servers was something it shouldn’t have ignored. It’s difficult to know if that lesson is something other retailers can learn from. It’s a reminder, however, that while U.S. commerce doesn’t enjoy credit card protections in place in other countries, it still behooves retailers to at least enlist the protections and knowledge of cybercrime that we do have.