Home Depot is looking into a possible data breach involving stolen credit cards and debit cards that may have been happening since earlier this spring, the company said Tuesday. This data breach could be larger than the major problems Target faced last year.

The massive data breach, if proven true, could be tied to other recent data breaches at Target, Sally Beauty and P.F. Chang's. 

Brian Krebs of the Krebs on Security website broke the Target story last December and was also first to break this breach at Home Depot. He believes that a ring of Russian and Ukranian hackers could be responsible for this breach as well as the other big ones. 

The problem with this breach however, could be its length. If credit cards and debit cards have been getting stolen at Home Depot locations since spring as suspected, that means almost five months of time -- five months of the busiest shopping season for home improvement -- has elapsed. Target's data breach was only three weeks and 40 million credit card numbers were stolen. This could mean that Home Depot customers have been vulnerable all summer and didn't even know it.

Home Depot said it will need more information before it can notify customers that were possibly impacted.

If you used a debit or credit card at Home Depot in the past few months you may be at risk of identity theft. Continue to monitor your accounts closely. 

Here are more steps that can help you prevent identity theft:

1. Verify all purchases on your credit and debit cards by monitoring your statements and online banking websites. Do not throw away statements without looking at them first.

2. Update your information and increase your security on your online profiles for shopping websites and Internet banking. Consider using difficult passwords and additional security questions.

3. Ask your bank when they will be switching over to the new cards that have a special chip in them. These are security-enhanced cards that are almost impossible to duplicate. Most banks will be switching over to these cards in 2015, but some banks have already switched over. Talk to your bank and ask them if they will switch early.

4. If you get a letter or an e-mail from Home Depot or the FBI, be very suspicious. This could be a phishing attempt to try to get even more personal information from you. It may look like they are trying to help you with fraud protection, but it's really a spoof e-mail from hackers trying to steal more info from you.

5. Change your Home Depot online password now. Even if you think you are safe, change it.

Did you shop at Home Depot in the past few months? Have you ever been a victim of identity theft or stolen credit cards? Leave us a comment below and let us know.