follow-up: Judge to decide if Hannaford data breach should go to trial (fwd)

[security curmudgeon <jericho () attrition org>]

---------- Forwarded message ----------
From: InfoSec News <alerts () infosecnews org>

http://pressherald.mainetoday.com/story.php?id=248452

By TREVOR MAXWELL
Staff Writer
Portland Press Herald
April 2, 2009

PORTLAND - A federal judge said he will decide in the next few days 
whether supermarket giant Hannaford Bros. is potentially liable for 
damages because of a data breach that exposed more than 4 million credit 
and debit card numbers to computer hackers.

Judge D. Brock Hornby heard arguments on Wednesday at U.S. District Court. 
Attorneys for Hannaford asked the judge to dismiss the lawsuit, which was 
filed against the Scarborough-based company last year. Attorneys for the 
plaintiffs said Hornby should certify the case as a class-action suit and 
let it proceed toward trial.

The upcoming ruling will determine whether parts or all of the suit will 
go forward.

The case boils down to a couple of central questions: To what extent are 
merchants responsible for securing the electronic data that gets processed 
with every noncash purchase, and what should the consequences be when that 
data is stolen?

[...]
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