Report: Retail data breaches not an attack on U.S., economy

Washington, D.C. – The National Cyber Investigative Joint Task Force, a combined effort of the FBI, Secret Service, intelligence agencies, and the Department of Homeland Security, has released a report stating there is no evidence that recent data breaches in the computer networks of U.S., retailers are a deliberate attack on the U.S., economy.



According to the Associated Press, the two-page report, which has not been made available to the public, states that while cyber attacks on retailers have global implications and significant negative impact on businesses and consumers, there is no evidence that any criminal groups or nation-states are attempting to damage the U.S.



The report does not name any specific retailers, but major U.S. retailers including Target, Neiman Marcus and Michaels Stores have recently had cyber attacks on their computer networks publicly uncovered. The task force is also reportedly investigating Kaptoxa, a type of malware originating in Eastern Europe believed to have been used in the Target and Neiman Marcus attacks, as well as other forms malware.