Security News Eddie Bauer Confirms Card Breach Affecting All North American Stores

[Exterminator]

Outdoor clothing brand Eddie Bauer confirmed last week rumors about a card breach that may have affected all its North American retail stores.

According to a statement published on August 18, 2016, the company acknowledged that between January 2, 2016, and July 17, 2016, malware had infected the point of sale (PoS) systems at its retail stores in US and Canada.

Eddie Bauer, a US-based manufacturer of outdoor and sports clothing, runs over 400 stores around the world, of which over 300 are located in the US.

The company says it contacted the FBI and a forensics investigation company as soon as it became aware of the issue.

Eddie Bauer card breach part of a larger attack wave
The investigation revealed that Eddie Bauer was only a small portion of a larger and more sophisticated attack that targeted multiple other retailers, hotels, and restaurants.

Crooks installed malware on the company's PoS systems that allowed them to collect payment card data handled in customer payments. Eddie Bauer said that not all cardholder transactions during this period were affected.

The retail chain has announced 12 months of identity protection and complimentary services to all customers that used their payment card information at its stores. More details in the official announcement.

"The security of our customers’ information is a top priority for Eddie Bauer," said Mike Egeck, Chief Executive Officer of Eddie Bauer. "We have been working closely with the FBI, cyber security experts, and payment card organizations, and want to assure our customers that we have fully identified and contained the incident and that no customers will be responsible for any fraudulent charges to their accounts."

In the last three months, besides Eddie Bauer, three other hotel chains announced PoS malware infiltrations on the PoS systems at stores and restaurants found on their properties. These are the HEI Hotels & Resorts (mid-August), Omni Hotels & Resorts (mid-July), and the Hard Rock Hotel & Casino in Las Vegas (late June).