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Newspapers Wrapped in Credit Card Data

Posted by Zonk on from the phish-wrap dept.

Buzzy's Roast Beef writes "The Boston Globe reports that bundles of newspapers in Worcester, MA were distributed wrapped in paper which contained subscriber credit card information for 240,000 customers. Those of you paying by check needn't worry; account and routing details for 1,100 customers paying by check were also given out like candy." From the article: "Larkin said the newspapers were first notified of the security breach on Monday by a clerk at a Cumberland Farms store. It took until late Monday for officials to confirm the data on the back of the paper were credit and debit card numbers. Senior management learned of the security breach yesterday morning, Larkin said. The company put out a news release late yesterday afternoon."

9 of 150 comments (clear)

  1. Access Control by imoou · · Score: 5, Interesting

    It should be a no brainer that financial information (not just credit cards) can only be access by the finance department, and any waste paper in the finance department must be disposed of by professional data destruction companies.

    The article explained the mistakes, which were caused by aborted print jobs, only those printed documents were in the bin for recycling!

    At least the the newspapers have now added a safeguard to the computer system so only the last four numbers of credit and debit cards can be printed.

    --
    Uncensored Google results requested and delivered by email
  2. For if it gets slashdotted by the-amazing-blob · · Score: 5, Informative

    1-888-665-2644 is their hotline "for customers to call to learn whether their financial information may have been distributed."

    Also:
    "As an extra precaution, newspaper officials also urged subscribers to contact their credit card companies if they are concerned about unauthorized transactions."

    This is a very serious problem

  3. The Boston Globe by Kesch · · Score: 5, Funny

    Subscribe for the articles, stay for your neighbor's credit card.

    --
    If this signature is witty enough, maybe somebody will like me.
  4. Need to print the data? by funkmeister · · Score: 5, Interesting

    Why does these data need to be printed at all? What possible need is there to see these numbers on paper?

  5. expensive subscription by pvt_medic · · Score: 5, Funny

    and you wonder why newspapers have been struggling recently. The price one has to pay to have a subscription is just too much.

    --
    30% Troll, 50% Underrated, 10% Interesting
    Score:5, Troll
  6. Sounds like Playboy by thaerin · · Score: 5, Funny

    I don't buy it for the pictures, I only read it for the occasional misprinting of hundreds of thousands of credit card information. *YOINK*

    --
    If big boobed women work at Hooters do one legged women work at IHOP?
  7. Oh the irony... by Soko · · Score: 5, Funny

    I clicked on the link in TFA, and got a page displaying an ad. 'For what?' you may ask.

    The ad was for American Express. ^_^

    Soko

    --
    "Depression is merely anger without enthusiasm." - Anonymous
  8. The industry is getting desperate... by Rob+T+Firefly · · Score: 5, Funny

    Everyone knows the newspaper industry is struggling to compete with the Internet, but they're really reaching nowadays, emulating the net's security breaches as well..

    --
    Slashdot Burying Stories About Slashdot Media Owned
  9. They don't comply by szembek · · Score: 5, Informative

    Apparently the Boston Globe Doesn't comply with the Payment Card Industry standard, found here: http://usa.visa.com/business/accepting_visa/ops_ri sk_management/cisp.html
    Specifically these sections:
    9.10 Destroy media containing cardholder information when it is no longer needed for business or legal reasons:

    9.10.1 Cross-cut shred, incinerate, or pulp hardcopy materials

    9.10.2 Purge, degauss, shred, or otherwise destroy electronic media so that cardholder data cannot be reconstructed

    --
    nothing