How to Enroll in Target's Free Credit Monitoring, Identity Theft Protection After Data Hack

The announcement comes after the company revealed that the massive security breach during the holiday shopping season may have affected up to 110 million of its customers.

Target has announced how shoppers can enroll in a free credit monitoring and identity theft protection program in the wake of a massive data heist.

The retailer will offer the service for one year, according to Target's site.

The announcement comes after Target revealed on Friday that the massive security breach during the holiday shopping season may have affected up to 110 million of its customers and included more kinds of confidential information than previously disclosed.

The company said last month that about 40 million credit and debit cards may have been affected by the breach that occurred between Nov. 27 and Dec. 15.

But Target followed up by saying an ongoing investigation into the hack found that names, phone numbers, email and mailing addresses for 70 million customers were also compromised. Some of the stolen information belonged to customers who had shopped at stores before the holiday season breach occurred.

A Target spokesman told NBC News that some overlap exists between the two data sets.

"I know that it is frustrating for our guests to learn that this information was taken and we are truly sorry they are having to endure this," Gregg Steinhafel, chairman, president and chief executive officer for Target said in a statement. "I also want our guests to know that understanding and sharing the facts related to this incident is important to me and the entire Target team."

The hack could become one of the largest data breaches ever for a retailer, surpassing an incident uncovered in 2007 that saw more than 45 million credit and debit cards stolen from T.J. Maxx and Marshalls customers. 

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