Target Hires Homeland Security Ex-Adviser to Boost Security

A former Department of Homeland Security adviser is stepping in to help fix security problems at Target, which is still reeling from a data breach last year in which tens of millions of customers had personal and financial data stolen.

Bob DeRodes has been the named the company’s new chief information officer, the Wall Street Journal reports, replacing Beth Jacobs, who left in March. In addition to working with the DHS, DeRodes has served as an adviser for the Center for CIO Leadership, the Department of Defense and the Justice Department. At Target, he’ll be tasked with overseeing the company’s technology team and data security enhancements.

Target is attempting to rebuild consumer trust after November’s data breach, in which 40 million customers’ credit and debit card numbers were stolen. The company later disclosed that up to 70 million customers’ personal information, such as their names and phone numbers, was also stolen. The theft was one of the largest data breaches in retail history.

Target is still seeking a chief information security officer and a chief compliance officer.

[WSJ]