Geeks.com not so 'Hacker Safe'

Geeks.com, a computer gear e-tailer that sports ScanAlert's "Hacker Safe" logo, has been hacked.

The Consumerist posted a letter from Geeks.com parent Genica to customers. The letter reads:

The purpose of this letter is to notify you that Genica dba Geeks.com ("Genica") recently discovered on December 5, 2007 that customer information, including Visa credit card information, may have been compromised. In particular, it is possible that an unauthorized person may be in possession of your name, address, telephone number, email address, credit card number, expiration date, and card verification number. We are still investigating the details of this incident, but it appears that an unauthorized individual may have accessed this information by hacking our eCommerce website.

If you've been a Geeks.com customer in the last year you may want to monitor your credit report.

The Hacker Safe logo comes from ScanAlert, a McAfee unit. McAfee bought the ScanAlert in October to add another revenue stream to its business. Analysts reckon that McAfee can weather an economic downturn better with ScanAlert in the fold. Under the ScanAlert business model, site operators pay for a site audit and due diligence so they can post the Hacker Safe badge.