The Target hack shows our payment systems are in big trouble.
The problems with debit and credit cards are no longer about high-tech skimmers at gas stations and restaurants. Things have gotten worse, not better. According to a December 19 update on the Target problem by security reporter Brian Krebs, as many as “40 million credit and debit card accounts may have been impacted between Nov. 27 and Dec. 15, 2013.” After first claiming that ATM PINs weren’t involved, Target later conceded they were stolen, too.