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Click here to register [x] Close this window news | sports | entertainment | opinion | sheriff's report | classifieds shopping | sv jobs | real estate | food and wine | [news_top.gif] headlines business sheriff's report obituaries sports | food and wine [newsBottom.gif] [share_top.gif] [shop_top.gif] [do_top.gif] [read_top.gif] News Thu 3/18 6 PM Mary's Pizza Shack hacked By David Bolling INDEX-TRIBUNE EDITOR [icon-print.gif] Print | [icon-email.gif] E-mail | [icon-comment.gif] Comment (6 comment(s)) | [smaller.gif] Text Size [larger.gif] post to del.icio.us del.icio.us post to digg digg post to facebook facebook post to newsvine newsvine post to reddit reddit post to fark fark what are these? what's this? top stories : : : : [spacer.gif] The Plaza location of Mary's Pizza Shack has been identified as the target of Internet hackers who penetrated the restaurant's computer system with a "logger" virus that captured credit card numbers at the transaction terminal. The presence of a virus was discovered by a corporate official on Feb. 10 after the family-run company received reports from friends about unauthorized credit card charges. CEO Vince Albano, grandson of Mary's founder Mary Fazio, said the company immediately contacted the four affected credit card companies - VISA, MasterCard, Discover and American Express, and then hired Trustwave, a Chicago-based data security firm recommended by the card companies. Only credit card numbers were taken by the virus, Albano emphasized, no personal identification information, such as Social Security numbers or bank account records were exposed, although VISA and MasterCard debit accounts were apparently raided. Trustwave identified and removed the virus doing the damage on Feb. 23. Albano said he was told by Trustwave officials that the virus was so new it was not even in the company's virus database. Trustwave is one of the world's leading Internet security companies with an international client list. They were able to tentatively trace the source of the hacking to Russia, said Albano. Albano said a police report has not yet been completed and a final report from Trustwave has not been released yet, but he expected to receive it by today (Friday). That report, he said, will conclusively define the period during which the virus was at work. Any transactions following Feb. 23 removal of the virus were safe from the hackers, he said. "We know we were secure on Feb. 23," Albano reiterated. "Anyone with a transaction after that date is not at risk." He added that the only hacked transaction point was the Mary's restaurant on the Plaza. The rest of the company's 18 locations were not hacked. Sonoma police, who have followed the case from the beginning, reported that Mary's was not the only hacked card terminal in the Valley but they have not yet identified other company victims. Albano told the Index-Tribune that Sheriff's Office investigators reported there were at least 70 cases of stolen credit card number use reported, some 50 of which were traced to Mary's. Individual cardholders could not be notified of the security breach, Albano explained, because the credit card companies do not release their names. He said he could not make a public announcement until he had a complete picture from Trustwave and investigating law enforcement officers. He said he intends to do so through newspaper advertisements once the report is in hand and he has definitive information on the date range encompassing the hack. Albano said the company spent $20,000 on the Trustwave intervention and that Mary's credit card processing system is now completely secure. Previous Next Theater finds home at community center Wanted man leaves children behind Reader Comments The following are comments from the readers. In no way do they represent the view of www.sonomanews.com. Carlos Sanchez wrote on Mar 19, 2010 4:42 AM: " There is no such thing as a secure system. Inside job. Never eating there again. " Cathy Palmer wrote on Mar 19, 2010 6:31 AM: " I'm going start paying more with cash. " Andy Paulson wrote on Mar 19, 2010 8:28 AM: " Mary's did the right thing for the community here by employing an expert to resolve this issue quickly. Visa or MC would back up their customers with fraudulent charges as well. We will definitely continue to visit Mary's and be confident charges will be safe. " Eddie Mooneyhan wrote on Mar 19, 2010 10:04 AM: " Identity theft is the number one crime in America these days, so this shouldn't come as a surprise to anyone. Carlos, if you love their food, I'd keep eating there. I doubt Mary's would pay twenty grand to cover up their inside job. As the article alluded to, as well as multiple articles of late, many companies in Sonoma are getting hacked. Sadly, it's a part of life these days. " david robbins wrote on Mar 19, 2010 10:16 AM: " Hacking like this is a worldwide problem. Saying this was an inside job is pretty silly. Your credit card numbers can be hacked from banks, card processing companies, businesses and basically anywhere you use them. Mary's have alerted all the credit card companies and the public. Remember, the hackers spend all their time working on ways to rip us off via the internet. " Katie White wrote on Mar 19, 2010 12:29 PM: " I agree that hacking is a worldwide problem these days, and I don't believe Mary's is at fault for this whatsoever. They took charge and got the problem solved as quickly as possible... I commend them for that! I'll definitely continue to eat there, and in the meantime, I'll be paying with cash more often! " Submit a Comment Please log in to comment: *Member ID: ____________________ *Password: ____________________ Forgot Your Password? Login Not registered yet? Sign up here! 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