Hannaford Bros. Cyber Security Lessons Learned
Introduction
Virtually every business today uses at least one form of computer information technology. Business firms use computers to automate and assist in managing everything from operations, sales, finance, and logistics. Internal databases and intranets are used for internal controls and organizations are connected via the internet to conduct sales, marketing and many other communications and transactions. Electronic business, or e-business, is dominating modern markets and the business world. This new world of technological innovation has exponentially increased efficiency and globalized the world’s economies. Unfortunately criminals still exist and continue to exploit businesses, committing acts of theft, vandalism, and terror. E-business is not immune to criminal mischief and in fact can be quite vulnerable to sophisticated cyber criminals known as hackers. In early 2008 it was reported that the North East Supermarket mogul, Hannaford Bros. Company fell victim to a computer hacking attack that compromised approximately 4.2 million customer credit cards. This act created a financial nightmare for thousands of consumers and for the Hannaford Bros. grocery company. The incident was a black mark on Hannaford’s public image and a financial burden to their corporation. Cyber Security is a growing priority of today’s business leadership. Boon, Kurtz (2011)
Hannaford Bros. Co.
Hannaford Bros. is an upscale North American grocery retail chain headquartered in Scarborough, Maine. Hannaford was founded in 1883 and now runs supermarkets throughout New England and upstate New York. Hannaford is owned by the American subsidiary of the Belgian Delhaize Group, Delhaize America, the parent company of Food Lion which operates over 1,500 stores on the East Coast, mostly in the Mid-Atlantic States. The Hannaford Bro. Website (2011), The Delhaize Group website (2011)
Hannaford Bros. administers a comprehensive website for their grocery chain. The Hannaford website found
Virtually every business today uses at least one form of computer information technology. Business firms use computers to automate and assist in managing everything from operations, sales, finance, and logistics. Internal databases and intranets are used for internal controls and organizations are connected via the internet to conduct sales, marketing and many other communications and transactions. Electronic business, or e-business, is dominating modern markets and the business world. This new world of technological innovation has exponentially increased efficiency and globalized the world’s economies. Unfortunately criminals still exist and continue to exploit businesses, committing acts of theft, vandalism, and terror. E-business is not immune to criminal mischief and in fact can be quite vulnerable to sophisticated cyber criminals known as hackers. In early 2008 it was reported that the North East Supermarket mogul, Hannaford Bros. Company fell victim to a computer hacking attack that compromised approximately 4.2 million customer credit cards. This act created a financial nightmare for thousands of consumers and for the Hannaford Bros. grocery company. The incident was a black mark on Hannaford’s public image and a financial burden to their corporation. Cyber Security is a growing priority of today’s business leadership. Boon, Kurtz (2011)
Hannaford Bros. Co.
Hannaford Bros. is an upscale North American grocery retail chain headquartered in Scarborough, Maine. Hannaford was founded in 1883 and now runs supermarkets throughout New England and upstate New York. Hannaford is owned by the American subsidiary of the Belgian Delhaize Group, Delhaize America, the parent company of Food Lion which operates over 1,500 stores on the East Coast, mostly in the Mid-Atlantic States. The Hannaford Bro. Website (2011), The Delhaize Group website (2011)
Hannaford Bros. administers a comprehensive website for their grocery chain. The Hannaford website found
References: 1) Boon, Kurtz (2011) Contemporary Business, New Jersey, John Wiley & Sons Inc. 2) The Hannaford Bro. Website (2011) Retrieved from: http://www.hannaford.com/home.jsp 3) The Delhaize Group website (2011) Retrieved From: http://www.delhaizegroup.com/en/PublicationsCenter/PicturesandBiographies/Stores.aspx 4) Kim Zetter (2010) Hacker Sentenced to 20 years for Breach of Credit Card Pocessor. Retrieved from: http://www.wired.com/threatlevel/2010/03/heartland-sentencing/#more-14740 5) Jaikumar Vijayan (2008) Update: New retail data breach may have affected millions of Hannaford shoppers. Retrieved from: http://www.computerworld.com/s/article/9068999/Update_New_retail_data_breach_may_have_affected_millions_of_ Hannaford_shoppers 6) Jaikumar Vijayan (2008) Hannaford hit by class-action lawsuits in wake of data-breach disclosure. Retrieved from: http://www.computerworld.com/s/article/9070281/Hannaford_hit_by_class_action_lawsuits_in_wake_of_data_breac h_disclosure 7) Michael Neumann (2008) The Rand Corporation: Cybersecurity Economic Approaches and Challenges to Decision Making. Retrieved from: http://www.rand.org/pubs/research_briefs/RB9365-1/index1.html 8) The State of Maine Bureau of Financial Institutions website (2011) Retrieved from: http://maine.gov/pfr/financialinstitutions/data_breach