Queen’s University computer security expert David Skillicorn is available to talk about today’s announcement by MasterCard and Visa of a data breach of cardholders’ account information.

The company has called police and started notifying card holders, banks and credit unions. The exact number of cards breached isn’t known yet but some media reports describe the breach as ‘massive.’ The breach is reported to have come from a third-party entity in the U.S.

Dr. Skillicorn, a professor in the Queen’s School of Computing, can talk about the seriousness of the breach and methods computer hackers use to steal personal data.

To arrange an interview, please contact communication officers Michael Onesi (office: 613.533.6000 ext. 77513, michael.onesi@queensu.ca) or Anne Craig (office: 613-533-2877, Anne.Craig@queensu.ca) at Queen’s University News and Media Services Department in Kingston, Ont., Canada.

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