Credit card information is payment data tied to a cardholder account, such as the primary account number, expiration date, cardholder name, and sometimes security codes or billing details. In cyber security, this data is highly sensitive because it can be used for fraud, unauthorized purchases, account takeover, and resale on criminal markets.
Exposure of card data also creates compliance risk. Organizations that store or process it must follow controls such as PCI DSS, encryption, access restrictions, segmentation, and monitoring. Attackers often steal it through payment web skimmers, malware on point-of-sale systems, phishing that captures checkout data, or database breaches. Defenders look for unusual exfiltration, leaked payment records, and signs of unauthorized access so they can block abuse, notify issuers, and reissue cards quickly.