Hijacking Trojan Malware Used in Hannaford Data Breach

A targeted malware attack described as "newand sophisticated" is to be blamed for the data breach at Hannaford Bros. Co.that exposed more than four million credit and debit card numbers to identitythieves, the supermarket chain said in a letter to regulators inMassachusetts.

In the letter, which was sent by Hannaford general counselEmily Dickinson, the company said an "illicit and unauthorized computer program"was secretly installed on servers at every one of its 300-plus grocery storiesin Maine, Vermont, New Hampshire, Massachusetts and New York.

Accordingto the Boston Globe, which first reported on Hannaford’s explanations toMassachusetts Attorney General Martha Coakley and Governor Deval Patrick’sOffice of Consumer Affairs and Business Regulation, the malicious Trojan was programmed to hijackwhat is described as "Track 2" data from the magnetic stripe of credit and debitcards being swiped at Hannaford’s checkout counters.

Read the full article at eWEEK.