The massive hacking attack against Target stores last month marks a turning point in how we view data security in the United States. Heretofore, major incidents involving loss or theft of customer information have been relatively few and ultimately resulted in little disruption. For that reason, American merchants have been slow to adopt more robust and technologically advanced countermeasures. That is about to change.
The sheer magnitude of the Target infiltration is without precedent. Credit card data on 40 million customers, plus personal information about another 70 million was apparently compromised. And Target is by no means the only company victimized in recent weeks, just the largest. Policy changes and technological upgrades are coming that will address some of these audacious capers, but the most important lesson is that each of us should rethink how we do business.