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Home Depot sheds more light on data breach

In addition to the payment information already known stolen, the company says the thieves also took files containing 53 million email addresses, but not their passwords or any other personal information.

November 7, 2014

Home Depot has divulged more information on the recent breach to its data systems, in which thieves stole data from roughly 56 million payment cards.

According to a statement from the company, hackers managed to install custom malware on the retailer's self-checkout systems in the U.S. and Canada using a third-party vendor's username and password. In addition to the payment information already known stolen, the company says the thieves also took files containing 53 million email addresses, but not their passwords or any other personal information. That means shoppers who have an email relationship with Home Depot should be more vigilant than ever against phishing.