Urban Outfitters Executive Argues That Companies Shouldn't Have To Tell Customers About Data Breaches

Urban Outfitters' head of information security doesn't believe that companies should have to disclose data breaches.

Dawn-Marie Hutchinson told The Wall Street Journal that uproar over retail cyber security threats is "crazy hysteria."

"Placing blame, it doesn't help anybody," she said.

Hutchinson's job is to protect Urban Outfitters from cyber attacks.

Elizabeth McLoughlin at My Retail Media writes that a growing number of industry executives are arguing that "a large amount of breaches do not cause harm and should be kept quiet."

"Not every piece of information which is exposed is stolen or used, or a valuable trade secret," McLoughlin writes.

Companies could arguably expose weaknesses in their systems by disclosing the breaches.

Retailers have been hit with a spate of data breaches over the past year.

Target's now-infamous data breach affected millions of customers. The company said today that the breach cost the company $148 million in the second quarter.

Verizon, Neiman Marcus, and Sally Beauty also reported breaches late last year.