Virginia to receive $299k from Home Depot data breach settlement

Virginia will receive nearly $300,000 as part of a national $17.5-million settlement between The Home Depot and 47 states, revolving a multistate investigation of a 2014 data breach that exposed the payment card information of approximately 40 million Home Depot consumers nationwide.

Virginia will receive $299,561.60 from the company.

“Businesses that collect or maintain sensitive personal information have a heightened duty to keep that information secure,” Virginia Attorney General Mark Herring said. “These companies must make it a top priority to implement and adhere to reasonable practices and procedures that will protect consumers’ information from bad actors. My team and I will continue to make sure that businesses do not fall short of their obligation to protect their consumers' private information.”

The breach occurred when hackers gained access to The Home Depot’s network and deployed malware on The Home Depot’s self-checkout point-of-sale system. The malware allowed the hackers to obtain the payment card information of customers who used self-checkout lanes at The Home Depot stores throughout the U.S. between April 10, 2014 and Sept 13, 2014.

In addition to the $17.5 million total payment to the states, The Home Depot has agreed to implement and maintain a series of data security practices designed to strengthen its information security program and safeguard the personal information of consumers.

Virginia’s settlement is in the form of an Assurance of Voluntary Compliance, which has been filed for approval with the Henrico County Circuit Court.