Specialty retailer becomes target of cyber-attack

Brooks Brothers is the latest victim of a data breach.



According to the specialty retailer, an unauthorized individual installed malicious software designed to capture payment card information on some of the chain’s payment processing systems. The software compromised payment card information across some purchases made at certain Brooks Brothers and Brooks Brothers Outlet retail locations in the United States and Puerto Rico.



The breach occurred between April 4, 2016 and March 1, 2017. Purchases made on the company’s website and at Brooks Brothers airport locations were not targeted in the attack.



The malware did not pilfer sensitive personal information, such as Social Security numbers or personally identifying information. However, payment card data, such as name, payment card account number, card expiration date, and card verification codes could have been affected, according to Brooks Brothers.



Upon learning about the incident, the chain notified potentially affected customers, and advised them on steps they can take to protect themselves. These include reviewing credit and debit card account statements to locate any discrepancies or unusual activity; and to immediately notify the issuer of the credit or debit card should they find any suspicious transactions.



“We take the security of our customers' information very seriously and, once we learned of this incident, we took immediate action including initiating an internal review, engaging independent forensic experts to assist us in the investigation and remediation of our systems and alerting law enforcement,” according to Brooks Brothers. “While we are continuing to review and enhance our security measures moving forward to help prevent a future incident, we can confirm that this issue has been resolved and is no longer impacting transactions.”