The list of top executives at Target who have been ousted because of the massive breach late last year has now extended to its President and CEO, Gregg Steinhafel. Target’s Chief Financial Officer John Mulligan will serve as interim CEO.
This is the biggest impact on a major corporation’s C-suite since the blood bath at CSX in the wake of the MSBlaster virus. In that 2003 incident CSX was unable to move trains for three days, resulting in the dismissal of its CISO, CIO, and most dramatically, its COO.
Target’s incoming CIO, Bob DeRodes, who starts today, brings extensive technology leadership experience in the credit card industry. One of his first tasks will be to find and retain a CISO whose task should be to transform Target’s security strategy to a model of retail industry best practices.
If there are any large enterprises that still view security as an operational task of the IT department and not as an existential battle to stay alive these sweeping changes at Target should be noted.