A security breach at a processor used by MasterCard International may have exposed more than 40 million customers to fraud, the credit card giant announced.

MasterCard said its security experts identified that the breach occurred at Arizona-based CardSystems Solutions, a third-party processor of payment card data used by MasterCard and other branded credit cards.

The breach occurred when “an unauthorized individual” was able to infiltrate the network, MasterCard said in a statement without elaborating.

The credit card firm said the breach “potentially exposed more than 40 million cards of all brands to fraud, of which approximately 13.9 million are MasterCard-branded cards.”

MasterCard said it was notifying participating banks and customers about the breach.

Source: AFP