How to Protect yourself from Target's Security Breach

The Breach on Target may have affected more than 60 million customers and it may include you. Target Corp. said last month that they have a security breach that happened between November 27 and December 15, 2013. According to a report, the criminals stole personal information like names, phone numbers, email, and mailing addresses from Target's customers.

The criminals infiltrated Target's main information hub using a malware and then they were able to access the store point-of-sale systems. Once the malware was in the POS systems, it could collect credit and debit card numbers as the cards that were swiped.

Here's what you need to do to take precaution if believe that your information has been stolen:

- Consumers are not responsible for fraudulent credit card charges, and credit card companies are often able to flag the charges before they go through and shut down your card. But if they failed to flag the charges, the credit card companies will take out the charges that you claim are fraudulent. You will need to get a new credit card.

The problem is debit cards since they don't offer the same protections as credit cards. It will be harder to get your money back because the fraud is on the part of Target, they will be the one responsible for paying your back. 

- There's no way to know if your identity have been stolen, since the criminals also stole email address they may send customers with malware using phishing emails to steal more information. It is important to be extra careful in opening emails and clicking links.

- To protect yourself, you should check and monitor your credit card statements carefully for potentially fraudulent charges. Experts say in cases like this when a huge amount of information is stolen, the thieves often sell it on the black market to the highest bidder. As a result, it could be a while before someone tries to use the information for nefarious purposes.

If you see suspicious charges, report the activity to your credit card companies and call Target at 866-852-8680. You can report cases of identity theft to law enforcement or the Federal Trade Commission.

Consumers can get more information about identity theft on the FTC's website at www.consumer.gov/idtheft, or by calling the FTC, at 877- IDTHEFT (438-4338).