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Retailers including Target, Walgreens, and Gap will share data to avoid getting hacked

Retailers including Target, Walgreens, and Gap will share data to avoid getting hacked

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No one ever wants to see a repeat of the Target hack that impacted tens of millions of US consumers last year. Least of all the retailers themselves. So in an attempt to shield their industry from another devastating breach, several major US retailers have announced they're coming together to share information about current and future cybersecurity threats. Target, Walgreens, American Eagle, JC Penney, Gap, and Nike are among the companies pledging allegiance to the Retail Cyber Intelligence Sharing Center today. Michaels and Neiman Marcus, two other stores that were infiltrated last year, haven't yet signed on.

The independent organization will constantly keep its members apprised of the latest cyber threats and intelligence about attack methods. R-CISC will also pass off information to the US Department of Homeland Security, the Secret Service, and the FBI. Other retailers "of all segments and sizes" are welcome to join the cause, according to a press release put out by the organization. Cyber criminals like those that caught Target sleeping are constantly honing their skills in hopes of finding new shortcuts to sensitive financial data. Joining together may be the best chance the retail industry has of avoiding another nightmare.