Equifax data breach: Up to 143 million accounts may be affected
The unauthorized access took place from mid-May through July 2017
The unauthorized access took place from mid-May through July 2017
on Thursday that could impact up to 143 million Americans. Cybercriminals stole consumers' social security numbers, names, birth dates, addresses, and driver's license numbers.
Visit to check if your personal data has been affected. The agency suggests signing up for credit monitoring and identity theft protection.
took place from mid-May through July 2017.
The credit card account numbers for about 209,000 people and dispute documents that contained personal data for 182,000 people were also leaked.
Hackers also obtained "limited personal information" from British and Canadian citizens.
The Atlanta-based credit bureau discovered the breach on July 29 and says it immediately launched an investigation. The incident was reported to law enforcement and remains ongoing.
"This is clearly a disappointing event for our company, and one that strikes at the heart of who we are and what we do," says Equifax chairman and CEO Richard F. Smith.
Equifax is one of three U.S. companies that monitors and scores the financial activity of consumers. Along with TransUnion and Experian, Equifax evaluates data related to personal loans and credit card accounts. The agency also stores information on credit limits, utility and rent payments, employer history and child support payments.
Some people affected by the breach may not even know it - Equifax gathers its data from banks, retailers, lenders and credit card companies.
"Unfortunately, in cases like this, there’s not much the user can do outside monitoring their credit reports and using an or something similar," Alex Heid, white hat hacker and Chief Research Officer at , tells us Thursday. "If it’s not from this breach, then their information was exposed in one of the several others in the last few years."
In May, it was revealed that hackers from April 17, 2016 to March 29, 2017 by exploiting Equifax subsidiary TALX, which offers tax and payroll services. The division was compromised when criminals reset customer employees' 4-digit PIN numbers and then correctly answered their security questions.
"The basic practice of centralizing sensitive consumer information, still commonplace in large enterprises, is a critical factor that leaves it vulnerable to attack," adds George Avetisov, CEO of . "If a service provider such as a bank, insurer, payment network, or other enterprise warehouses data that is appealing to hackers, the data will be hacked. It’s not a matter of if, but a matter of when."
Equifax will mail notices to anyone whose credit card numbers or dispute documents were included in the breach.
Three Equifax executives sold a combined $1.8 million in stock before news of the hack went public,
The stock sales were carried out in early August by Chief Financial Officer John Gamble and two other executives, Rodolfo Ploder and Joseph Loughran.