Officials at the company, which processes merchants' credit card transactions, have been mum on why they gave customers the silent treatment. One of the thieves, however, has been more vocal and said he did it to prove the company's security was faulty. Rather than try to decrypt an SSL session to get the credit card number, all you really need to do is break into the server where the credit card is sent. In contrast, CEO Michael Bloomberg last summer helped authorities capture two men who'd tried to extort him for stolen data. That's sort of the way the industry is right now.
Most companies are loathe to admit computer security break-ins.
They are very afraid they will lose their customer loyalty. Rouland predicts more crackers will take advantage of increased vulnerabilities and demand cash for stolen data in the coming year. The best thing to do is have a plan in place to eliminate the threat by being able to lock down all the systems and assess the data that's been stolen. Those holiday e-mails may be spreading more than good cheer. They could be helping along mass-mailed viruses like Music and Navidad and breathing new life into old favorites Feliz Navidad, Christmas and Kriz.