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Will Target Face FTC Probe?
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Shane M. O'Neill
Shane M. O'Neill,
 User Rank: Apprentice
3/20/2014 | 2:39:21 PM
Asleep at the wheel
This debacle warrants an FTC investigation, even if it will just end in more security audits and fines for Target. The company ignored or grossly underestimated repeated alerts about the ongoing hacks from its security vendor, FireEye, and let enough time go by that hackers could move the stolen credit card data to Russian servers. This took the hackers a week or more to do, while Target security teams were basically twiddling their thumbs. If Target had responded to FireEye's warnings around Dec. 1 the whole thing could have been prevented.
MyThoughts
MyThoughts,
 User Rank: Apprentice
3/20/2014 | 3:02:51 PM
Targets unscrupulous data collection practices
On a side note regarding Targets data collecting practices, when I recently purchased a video game from a local Target store, the cashier asked to see my driver's license.  Without giving away my age, I am undeniably a picture of someone "way" past legal drinking age, let alone the age of seventeen by which the "M" rating on the video game box suggests as the appropriate age to play the game.

I asked the cashier why I needed to do so.  The cashier said that it was company policy to request age verification for video games with an "M" rating.  I didn't stifle my laugh, as neither did another customer besides me, at the absurdity of it all.  If I was still in my twenties, I could understand the effort by the cashier to remove a reasonable doubt.

At the time, I just shook my head and offered up my drivers license so that I could get on my way... but then, I got really pissed!!  The cashier proceeded to scan my license in to the register.  I asked what did he just do!  He said that he was just following company policy.  Well, I was so mad that I asked for a manager.  One was not readily near and so I just spoke my mind to the poor cashier.

I'm usually a mild mannered person but with the security issues that Target is dealing with, and the fact that I would call this an unscrupulous way to secure more data from its customers in already proven flawed system, I vowed to myself that I would from now on make a concerted effort to not support this chain.

I will be curious to see if the FTC's probe to study Targets privacy and information security policies, procedures, and practices will indeed occur.  I truly hope so as I would think that at the very least, it would get Target to be more aggressive over the "Protection" of data rather than the "Gathering" of it.

 
Mathew
Mathew,
 User Rank: Apprentice
3/20/2014 | 3:46:57 PM
Re: Targets unscrupulous data collection practices
MyThoughts: A company can't lose what it doesn't collect, eh?
Alison_Diana
Alison_Diana,
 User Rank: Moderator
3/20/2014 | 4:00:48 PM
Re: Targets unscrupulous data collection practices
No doubt it's the last game you buy from Target. I know the company uses any legal loopholes to swipe licenses: Florida was not one of the first to make you show ID to buy cold medicine, but Target required a driver's license (and swipe) before it became state law. I figured it was so they had one national standard, not putting it together with data collection all those years ago. I haven't shopped there since the breach and subsequent scam calls to both my phone numbers, but if I do return i won't buy anything that requires ID, legally or per store policy.
Charlie Babcock
Charlie Babcock,
 User Rank: Ninja
3/21/2014 | 3:29:23 PM
Re: Target's unscrupulous data collection
That's a fascinating story about Target checkout scanning MyThought's driver's license on a flimsy pretext. after they've experienced a massive loss of personal data. Target is showing an unremitting knack for driving away customers.
Laurianne
Laurianne,
 User Rank: Apprentice
3/21/2014 | 4:01:39 PM
Re: Targets unscrupulous data collection practices
Scan and save my license to buy cold medicine or a game? No thank you. I would think the last thing Target would want to have to guard right now would be a repository of license data.
Alison_Diana
Alison_Diana,
 User Rank: Moderator
3/21/2014 | 4:13:08 PM
Re: Targets unscrupulous data collection practices
Based on your experience, I wonder how Target handles online game orders? 
Madhava verma dantuluri
Madhava verma dantuluri,
 User Rank: Apprentice
3/24/2014 | 12:59:08 AM
Is it
This cant be true. Hope all should go fine.
asksqn
asksqn,
 User Rank: Ninja
3/27/2014 | 3:47:14 PM
Reform Not Likely
Since the FTCs fact pattern has been to function as little more than industry lapdog, I'm going to opine that the likelihood of any kind of probe will depend on how vociferous the little people clamor for, and, even then, any sanctions handed down thereafter will be strictly slaps on the wrist.


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