Why the Target Data Hack Is Just the Beginning

It took only a month. Target first divulged a breach involving 40 million credit and debit card accounts on Dec. 19. It later revealed that information on 70 million customers—including names, addresses, and phone numbers—had also been hacked.

Customers are fuming. State regulators are investigating. Congress is demanding an inquiry. Lawsuits are piling up. Gregg Steinhafel, Target’s chief executive officer, attempted to make amends in an open letter to customers. Target plans to form “a coalition to help educate the public on the dangers of consumer scams,” the letter says, and it hopes to “accelerate the conversation—among customers, retailers, the financial community, regulators, and others—on adopting newer, more secure technologies that protect consumers.”