Donald Trump seems to be constantly in the news these days.  Whether it is for declaring his candidacy for President of the United States or for making inflammatory comments, Trump is omnipresent in the media.  However, the latest Trump news event is not one with which he must be pleased.  It has just been disclosed that the Trump Hotel Collection, which includes hotels in Chicago, Honolulu, Las Vegas, Los Angeles, Miami and New York has been hit with a Target-like credit card and debit card data breach that appears to have started at least as far back as February.  As with so many data breaches, it was discovered not by the company hacked but by credit and debit card processing banks that noticed a pattern of fraudulent use and traced the cards back to the Trump hotels.  This type of hacking and data breach is expected to happen again and again as companies still cling to the use of old fashioned credit and debit cards using magnetic strips rather than the more modern smart credit cards with computer chips that create a new one-time authorizing number each time the card is used.

Here is a link to a column I wrote for USA Today in September of 2014 in which I both described how these data breaches occurred and correctly predicted their continuing pattern. http://www.usatoday.com/story/money/personalfinance/2014/09/27/hacking-target-home-depot-credit-card/16221427/

TIPS

There is little that we as credit and debit card users can do to protect ourselves from the security vulnerabilities of the companies with which you do business.  One important thing to do is to refrain from using your debit cards except in ATMs.  Using your debit card at retail establishments puts you at much greater risk of expensive identity theft in the event of a data breach at the company with which you are doing business because of weaker consumer protection laws regarding liability for fraudulent use of your debit card.  Although the deadline for companies being required to install smart credit card readers is months away, you should ask your credit card company for a replacement credit card with a computer chip now.  Some stores, most notably Wall Mart are already using the safer smart chip cards.  Whenever you can use the smart credit card, it is important to do so.