Hackers got into a system retailers trust, and Staples now faces a loss of about $5 million. Any business with internal tools should take note.
Staples is facing a loss of about $5 million after hackers hijacked a system that retailers trust. Security experts say the case shows how criminals can turn access to a company's internal applications into big financial losses.
Internal applications are the private tools a company uses to run its day. They can handle orders, payments, inventory and customer records. Customers never see them, but they hold the keys to how money moves. According to the experts quoted, the attackers gained access to this kind of system and used it to cause serious financial damage.
Staples is the company with the known loss. The risk is wider, though. Any retailer or business that relies on internal tools to run daily operations could face the same problem. If a criminal gets into one of those tools, the damage can grow fast, because the tool is already trusted to handle money.
Customers of Staples have not been named as affected in the material available. Shoppers do not need to take special action based on what is known so far.
Several details have not been made public in the material available. It is not clear how the hackers got in, how long they had access, or exactly how the $5 million loss happened. It is also not clear which system was hijacked or which other retailers use it.
The alert box above lays out the steps. The common thread is simple: control who can log in, and watch for anything unusual. One stolen login can be enough to cost a business real money.
More details may come out as Staples and security experts review the attack. Business owners should watch for word from their own software vendors about whether they are affected.
Lock down who can log in to the tools that touch your money, because one stolen login can cost a business millions.
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