Canada Computers & Electronics confirms customer data breach

Canadian-owned retailer Canada Computers & Electronics has confirmed a data breach involving personal data and credit card information of some of its customers.

According to CBC News, the company said in a statement that it first became aware of the breach on January 23rd. The incident involved personal information of its website customers, as well as their credit card information.

Canada Computers & Electronics said that it promptly informed the affected customers, offered recommendations for next steps, and reported the incident to authorities.

It added that the breach affected “a few” of its customers and said that it would provide an update by the end of the week.

However, CBC News says that neither the initial statement nor the company’s notices sent out to the customers explained when the breach happened, how long it lasted, or how many customers it impacted.

A statement posted on Saturday gave more details: customers who checked out as "guests" between December 29th and January 22nd and filled out their personal details were affected.

However, the breach did not impact those who logged in and checked out using their Canada Computers member account, and did not affect in-store purchases.

The updated statement says that the company learned of the breach on January 22nd and notified customers on January 25th (the initial statement listed the dates as January 23rd and January 26th, according to CBC News).

"We have engaged an independent forensic data security firm to assess and confirm the incident's origin and the scope of the affected information, and support next steps to further strengthen our systems and procedures," the statement said.

Canada Computers & Electronics is now offering two-year credit monitoring and identity protection services to affected clients.

The company operates around 30 locations primarily in Ontario, Quebec, and British Columbia. It sells computer hardware, components, gaming products, and home electronics.