Identity Theft Prevention

BOSTON (AP) — More than two months after first disclosing that hackers accessed customers' financial data from its computers, discount retailer TJX has revealed that information from at least 45.7 million credit and debit cards was stolen over an 18-month period. In a regulatory filing that gives the first detailed account of the breach initially disclosed in January, the owner of T.J. Maxx, Marshall's and other stores in North America and the United Kingdom also said another 455,000 customers who returned merchandise without receipts had their personal data stolen, including driver's license numbers.

TJX spokeswoman Sherry Lang said the extent of the damage may never be known because of the methods used by the intruder. Much of the transaction data was deleted by TJX in the normal course of business between the time of the thefts and the time they were discovered, the filing said, making it impossible to know how many card numbers were obtained.

• JJ Commentary: Identity theft, like terrorism, cannot be fully contained. Our best protection is prayer and the intervention of the Holy Spirit.