*Data breach. If you’re anything like me, those are two words that stop you in your tracks. All of a sudden you start thinking about quitting any online shopping, social media, and everything else.
But we’ve got to face it, data breaches are on the rise. I don’t know if retailers are just getting sloppier, or if scammers are becoming smarter. Either way, its us, the consumers, that end up on the losing end.
Business Insider Intelligence says data breaches in both retail and other business has gone up. And while they also say the retailer suffers just as much as the consumer, they acknowledge that if… or when… a consumer loses trust in a business, that’s a doubly bad thing.
According to Business Insider Intelllegence, 19% of consumers actually stop shopping at a particular retailer following a data breach. Sounds like a low number right? Well, BII also adds that 33% of consumers take a lengthy break from shopping anywhere a data breach has occurred.
OK, these reports are speaking to someone who used to love Chipotle beyond all other, but a few years back, when people started getting sick after eating at the Mexican Grill (which I have since heard is owned by McDonalds), I cut all eating ties with the establishment…and haven’t been back since.
It’s been at least, what, 5 years?
Maybe its different with food. I don’t know if I will ever trust Chipotle again. I don’t want to have to get sick to realize it may not be a good idea to eat there. And judging by the lack of people I see as I ride by — which is very different from what it used to be — I am not alone.
Sorry Chipotle. This is my own experience. Not to say it belongs to anyone else.
But back to security breaches. Would you believe 14 businesses breached our personal data last year alone? And in spite of it, many of us still shop or do other business with them.
These security breaches were not some time ago, they were as recent as…wait for it…January 2017 until now. Many of them, according to BII, were caused by flaws in payment systems, either online or in stores.
Get ready. We shop regularly at ALL of these places including…
Best Buy : Told customers on April 5 about the breach from online support partner, [24]7.ai. The retailer said only “a small fraction of our overall online customer population” was affected in the breach, which might have jeopardized payment information.
Panera Bread: Confirmed on April 2 that it was notified of a data leak on its website.
Personal information, including names, addresses, and partial credit card numbers may have leaked, though the company says the investigation is ongoing.
The flaw in the website was fixed as of Monday, but up to 37 million people’s information could have been leaked according to an estimate.
Delta Airlines: The airline used the same online support service as Sears and was also affected by the reported breach.
Sears: Alerted customers on April 4 about a “security incident” with [24]7.ai that may have resulted in up to 100,000 people having their credit-card information stolen.
The incident affected shoppers who bought items online from September 27, 2017 to October 12, 2017.
Forever 21: Alerted its customers in November that some of their information may have been stolen.
A flaw in the store’s cashier terminals may have inadvertently exposed data like credit card numbers, expiration dates, and internal verification codes to hackers. Customers who shopped in stores from March through October 2017 are vulnerable.
Whole Foods: Announced in August that it “recently received information regarding unauthorized access of payment card information.”
A flaw in the point-of-sale system used by the chain’s taprooms and table-service restaurants was affected, but not the system the grocery store itself uses.
*UPDATE: Chipotle is not owned by McDonald’s. Chipotle became a subsidiary of McDonald’s in 1999 when McDonald’s acquired the controlling stake of the company. At one point, McDonald’s owned shares accounting for approximately 87% of the voting power of Chipotle’s common stock.
There’s more at Business Insider
