FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Contact: Vicki Christner – CUNA Communications; 202-508-6754; vchristner@cuna.coop

Washington, DC (April 15, 2015) – The Credit Union National Association (CUNA) has agreed to join credit unions and other financial institutions nationwide as a plaintiff in a class action lawsuit against The Home Depot following the merchant’s massive data breach in September 2014.  

“Credit union members need a solution to the problem of merchant data breaches,” said Jim Nussle, President and CEO of CUNA. “Credit unions around the country have been dealt a huge blow by merchant data breaches and CUNA expended significant resources and has been diligently working with its credit union members to address and respond to the Home Depot data breach. CUNA did not make the decision to join the lawsuit lightly; we stand with our credit union members and believe consumers must be protected from merchant negligence. Home Depot continues to operate using the inferior systems and procedures that gave rise to the breach and it is unacceptable.”

CUNA has been heavily involved in the issue of merchant data breaches by corresponding and meeting with federal lawmakers and their staff and will continue all efforts to ensure any and all data security-related bills afford credit union members with the greatest protection possible. CUNA studies show that the Home Depot data breach alone cost credit unions and their members tens of millions of dollars and the merchant has acknowledged that 56 million credit and debit card were compromised in the breach. 

CUNA joins a number of credit unions and other financial institutions as plaintiffs on this case.

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About CUNA:
With its network of affiliated state credit union leagues, Credit Union National Association (CUNA) serves America's credit unions, which are owned by more than 100 million consumer members. Credit unions are not-for-profit cooperatives providing affordable financial services to people from all walks of life. For more information about CUNA, visit www.cuna.org or follow @CUNA on Twitter. For more information about credit unions, visit www.aSmarterChoice.org and follow @asmarterchoice on Twitter. Visit the CUNA Press Room for a full listing of media mentions, press releases and resources to stay informed on current events within the credit union industry.