Target says PIN numbers among data stolen – Philly.com

ATLANTA – Target Corp. now says customers’ encrypted PIN data were removed from its files during the massive security breach this month.

Previously, Target had said encrypted data were stolen, but stopped short of identifying the data as PIN numbers. But the company issued a statement Friday saying additional forensic work has shown that encrypted PIN data were removed along with customers’ names and card numbers.

Data connected to about 40 million credit and debit cards used at Target were stolen between Nov. 27 and Dec. 15.

Security experts say it is the second-largest theft of card accounts in U.S. history, surpassed only by a scam that began in 2005 involving TJX Cos. In addition to the encrypted PIN numbers, the stolen data from Target included customer names, credit and debit card numbers, card expiration dates, and the embedded code on the magnetic strip on the back of the card.