Tens of Millions of Credit and Debit Cards Compromised in Target Hack

If only there were an alternative global payment processing system, one that did not rely on the shady practices of banks and corporations.  From the Chicago Tribune:

Target Corp said data from about 40 million credit and debit cards might have been stolen from shoppers at its stores during the first three weeks of the holiday shopping season.

The data theft, unprecedented in its ferocity, took place over a 19-day period that began the day before Thanksgiving. Target confirmed on Thursday that it identified and resolved the issue on Dec. 15 . . .

Target said the breach, second-largest hack at a U.S. retailer, might have compromised accounts between Nov. 27 and Dec. 15, a period of nearly three weeks.