NEW YORK: Hackers stole 53 million email addresses in addition to customers' card data, Home Depot said Thursday.

The nation's largest home improvement chain had disclosed the massive, months-long breach of 56 million debit and credit cards in September.

Home Depot's breach surpassed Target's pre-Christmas 2013 data theft, which compromised 40 million credit and debit cards and hurt sales and profits. Since late last year, Michaels, SuperValu and Neiman Marcus have been among a string of retailers that have also reported breaches, though they were smaller.

While shoppers appear to have grown numb to the hacks, the breaches have forcing changes in retailing. Target's breach pushed banks, retailers and card companies to increase security by speeding the adoption of microchips in US credit and debit cards, which supporters say are more secure. Home Depot reiterated that it will be activating chip-enabled checkout terminals at all of its US stores by the end of the year.

The file containing the email addresses did not contain passwords or other sensitive personal information, according to Home Depot. However, it said that customers should be on guard against phishing scams. Phishing attacks are sent through texts or emails and try to trap you into disclosing personal information.
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