The popular website of Cotton Traders was hacked earlier this year. No details have been reported yet about when the actual breach happened or the extent of the information that was accessed, but spokesmen for the company have said that these details will be provided to the public as the case surrounding the breach continues to develop. As it stands right now, over 38,000 people have been affected, although there are varying degrees of what pieces of their private information were taken. In some cases for the 38,000 people, credit card information was taken. Other specific instances also show that personal addresses were obtained, although these have only been noted in a few isolated incidences.

The company that runs the credit card component of the site, Barclaycard, was immediately notified of the breach. As a result of this quick notification, the company was able to prevent even more people from being affected by the breach. This is considerably good news when one notes that Cotton Traders has over one million customers and that most of these people have an online account used to purchasing products. However, the investigating company notes that the threat of fraud in this instance is serious, because the data gathered was active and could be used for illegal activities at the present moment, not down the line, although this also remains a possibility.

Cotton Traders has announced that its customers should rest easy because all of the credit card information was encrypted. No word yet on whether or not this was also the case with the personal addresses and other data involving maiden names. As a result of the breach, the company has called in outside consultants to help assess the quality of Cotton Traders’ systems. These consultants have already prescribed numerous improvements and the company has been quick to act, noting that within the last few months security features for all of its websites and payment affiliates has been increased substantially. These measures now have Cotton Traders well above the standards set for the industry and they want customers to know that they will not be lax in maintaining these exacting standards.

While those who are worried about their accounts are advised to contact the customer service department of the company, others are taking other actions. Although the company caters mainly to British citizens, it also attracts considerable traffic from across the pond. Americans affected by the breach are turning to ID theft service subscription companies, such as Lifelock, to keep an eye on their credit reports. This company contacts all three major bureaus and alerts customers whenever a new credit card or loan application is opened, in an effort to prevent fraudulent activity in these matters.