Michaels Confirms Security Breach Affected 3 Million Debit, Credit Cards

Michaels Stores, largest arts and crafts chain in the United States, has acknowledged that a security breach first reported in January affected up to 3 million customer credit and debit card accounts.

The security breach occurred as a result of an attack using malware that the company says had not been previously encountered by security firms. The breach has been identified and contained, Michaels said in a press release on Thursday.

Brian Krebs originally reported the breach on his Krebs on Security blog.

There were some reports of fraudulent charges on cards that had potential connections to Michaels or Aaron Brothers, a subsidiary of the company, the company added. It said it has worked with debit and credit card companies to limit the damage and is offering 12 months of identity protection, credit monitoring and fraud assistance to any customers affected by the breach. Read more...