Two days after discovering “unusual activity” that could signal a data breach, Home Depot was still investigating late Thursday the possibility of a security hack.
In his first public statements on the matter, CEO Frank Blake told a Goldman Sachs conference Thursday that the company had two choices after learning it may have been breached: wait to discuss what may have happened or get the facts out as they become available.
“We chose the latter path,” Blake told attendees.
But no new light was shed on Home Depot’s investigation Thursday, including how close the company is to a conclusion. The Atlanta-based home improvement giant said Wednesday IT firms helping in the investigation include Symantec and FishNet Security.
If Home Depot experienced a data breach, it could be bigger than the one experienced during the holidays last year at retailer Target, security experts said. Home Depot is a larger company with more stores. Target reported that its breach cost the company an estimated $148 million.
Home Depot told customers they would not be responsible for charges made on their credit cards if a breach is confirmed, and that it would pay for customer credit monitoring if there was a breach.
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