HVAC Contractor Linked to Target Data Breach

by Karl Utermohlen | February 7, 2014 3:23 pm

Target (TGT[1]) may have finally figured out how the massive Target data breach began as TGT stock is up Friday.

[2]A heating and air conditioning contractor is being investigated[3] by the Secret Service for its possible involvement in the Target data breach. Independent security researcher Brian Krebs said on Thursday that Fazio Mechanical Services was the victim of a breach.

Ross Fazio — the HVAC contractor’s president — said that they are also a victim of a sophisticated cyber-attack operation. He added that Fazio Mechanical Services is fully cooperating with the Secret Service and Target to identify the cause of the breach.

Fazio’s company does not handle credit or debit card payments for Target but it does connect to the company’s networks for billing and contract. Some believe that the attackers went in through the contractor’s network and navigated through Target’s network through there before stealing its customers’ information.

The Secret Service is working to determine whether or not the contractor was involved in the Target data breach. Last week, Target said that hackers acquired the payment and personal information of as many as 110 million customers.

TGT stock is up 0.7% Friday.

More on the Target Data Breach

• 40M Target Customers Involved in Massive Data Breach[4]
• TGT Stock – Target Data Breach Much Worse Than Reported[5]

Source URL: https://investorplace.com/2014/02/target-data-breach-tgt-stock/

---