The Maine Office of the Attorney General disclosed a data breach targeting Gerten Greenhouse & Garden Center, Inc., which transpired between May 14, 2022, and July 21, 2022, due to external hacking. The incident compromised payment card information of 2,944 customers, exposing sensitive details such as names, email addresses, card numbers, expiration dates, and security codes. At least one Maine resident was confirmed among the affected individuals. The breach posed significant risks, including potential fraudulent transactions, identity theft, and financial losses for customers. The exposure of full payment card data—a high-value target for cybercriminals—heightens the severity, as such information can be exploited for unauthorized purchases or sold on dark web marketplaces. The company’s failure to prevent the intrusion underscores vulnerabilities in its cybersecurity defenses, particularly in safeguarding customer financial data from external threats. The breach’s prolonged detection window (over two months) further exacerbates concerns about the organization’s incident response capabilities and the potential for prolonged exploitation of the compromised systems.