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Target revealed today that the "encrypted data" compromised during the Black Friday hack were in fact customer PIN numbers. 40 million of these were obtained during the security breach in addition to the credit card numbers and customer names. But don't panic yet: Target believes the PINs are safe because the "key" for decrypting the data was not in the system.
Spokeswoman Molly Snyder stated over email, "We remain confident that PIN numbers are safe and secure. The PIN information was fully encrypted at the keypad, remained encrypted within our system, and remained encrypted when it was removed from our systems."
But, hey, just in case, Target is also suggesting in its five tips for handling the data breach that you don't give your PIN number out if it's requested.
· Target Confirms Encrypted PINs Were Stolen in Recent Data Breach [NBC]
· Credit Cards Stolen From Target Shoppers Hit the Black Market [Racked]