Target Says Debit Card PIN Numbers Are Secure

Target Corp. says that customer PIN data stolen during a massive data breach is secure.

In a statement issued Friday, Target spokesperson Molly Synder said the company remains confident that PIN numbers remain strongly encrypted.

"The PIN information was fully encrypted at the keypad, remained encrypted within our system, and remained encrypted when it was removed from our systems," Synder said. “When a guest uses a debit card in our stores and enters a PIN, the PIN is encrypted at the keypad with what is known as Triple DES. Triple DES is a highly secure encryption standard used broadly throughout the US.”

The statement comes after the theft of information connected to around 40 million credit and debit cards used at Target stores between November 27 (Black Friday) and December 15. Some information is already showing up on black market websites, and banks are reissuing cards and placing spending limits on accounts while they work with Target and the Department of Justice to investigate the breach.

Meanwhile, many customers are filing federal lawsuits.