Supervalu Inc. and the operator of the Albertsons supermarket chain, which both suffered data breaches this year, said that they discovered additional attacks in the computer networks that process card payments.
A malicious software program was installed in late August or early September that was different from the intrusions that were previously announced last month, the companies said. Albertsons, operated by AB Acquisition LLC, said that stores were affected in nine states including California, Idaho, Montana and North Dakota.
The retail industry is under increasing pressure to improve the security of computer systems and credit cards following a wave of data breaches at companies including Home Depot Inc., Target Corp. and Neiman Marcus Group Ltd.
Supervalu said that the latest breach struck the network that processes payment-card transactions at some of its Shop ’n Save, Shoppers Food & Pharmacy and Cub Foods owned and franchised stores. Last month, Eden Prairie, Minnesota-based Supervalu said that data may have been stolen from cards used in Supervalu stores from 22 June to 17 July. While the investigation is ongoing, Supervalu said that the breach potentially captured data from cards used at some checkout lanes in four franchised Cub Foods stores. The malware “may have been successful in capturing account numbers, and in some cases also the expiration date, other numerical information and/or the cardholder’s name, from payment cards used at some checkout lanes” at the four franchised Cub Foods during the period of 27 August through 21 September, it said.
Identity Protection
The company is working with law-enforcement authorities investigating the matter, and is offering customers who used cards at those stores one year's complimentary consumer identity protection services.
Meanwhile, AB Acquisition said that its ACME Markets in Pennsylvania, Maryland, Delaware and New Jersey were affected, as well as Jewel-Osco stores in Iowa, Illinois and Indiana. In addition, Shaw’s and Star Markets stores in Maine, Massachusetts, Vermont, New Hampshire and Rhode Island were also hit.
Bloomberg News, edited by ESM
