Target was hacked through stolen vendor credentials

targetIt has emerged that the retail firm, Target was hacked through credentials that were stolen from a vendor through electronic mediums.

Target Corp believes that the hackers were able to breach the discounter's systems by using electronic credentials stolen from a vendor. The company said that hackers, who stole 40 million credit- and debit-card numbers, breached its system using stolen information from one of the retailer's vendors.

"The ongoing forensic investigation has indicated that the intruder stole a vendor's credentials, which were used to access our system," Target spokeswoman Molly Snyder said in a statement.

Hackers were able to access credit and debit card information of over 40 million target customers who shopped in stores between 27 November and 15 December. The information stolen by the hackers were posted on the Target Corporation website and included Customer names, credit and debit card numbers including valid upto dates and three digit security codes.

Financial institutions have assured the customers that they will not be held responsible for fraudulent activities on their cards due to the breach. Some customers are considering filing class action lawsuits.