Washington (January 10, 2014) – Senator Edward J. Markey (D-Mass.), a member of the Commerce, Science and Transportation Committee, released the following statement after Target Brands Inc. increased the number to upwards of 70 million consumers who were potentially affected by the data breach of credit and debit cards between November 27-December 15. 

“When a number equal to nearly one-fourth of America’s population is affected by a data breach, it is a serious concern that must be addressed. These findings only underscore the need for retailers across industries to make their security safeguards iron-clad to ward off hackers prowling for Americans’ personal information. 

“As co-chairman of the Bi-partisan Privacy Caucus when I served in the House of Representatives, I consistently pushed for strong privacy and security standards to protect consumers’ personal information. In the Senate, I will continue to work in this vital area so that Americans’ sensitive data is not pilfered by digital thieves.”