The data breached included names, home addresses, phone numbers, dates of birth, social security numbers, and driver's license numbers. The credit card numbers of approximately 209,000 consumers were also breached.
What data was stolen from Equifax?
What was the Equifax scandal?
In September of 2017, Equifax announced a data breach that exposed the personal information of 147 million people. The company has agreed to a global settlement with the Federal Trade Commission, the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, and 50 U.S. states and territories.
What caused the data breach at Equifax?
The breach occurred after Equifax security officials failed to install a software upgrade that had been recommended to seal off digital intruders from obtaining access to the names, birthdates and Social Security numbers of the victims, the indictment says.
Was my information leaked by Equifax?
If you want to check whether your data was exposed, the FTC and official settlement site have an online tool you can use to check if you were part of the Equifax breach. You'll need to enter your last name and last six digits of your Social Security number to see if your data was part of the hack.
What did Equifax do wrong?
It's been a full year since Equifax announced that it suffered a hack affecting 147 million Americans. … It was a Thursday afternoon when Equifax explained that hackers infiltrated its network and stole customer names, Social Security numbers, birthdates and addresses, affecting more than half the US population.
Has Equifax been hacked?
In September 2017, credit reporting giant Equifax came clean: It had been hacked, and the sensitive personal information of 143 million US citizens had been compromised—a number the company later revised up to 147.9 million. Names, birth dates, Social Security numbers, all gone in an unprecedented heist.
How much did Equifax data breach cost?
In total, the breach cost Equifax $1.14 billion in 2019 alone. Overall, the breach cost Equifax more than $1.7 billion since it was first disclosed in 2017. According to Equifax, at the time of the breach, the company had $125 million in cybersecurity insurance coverage.
Is the Equifax hack the worst ever and why?
The Equifax data breach, which allowed hackers to steal extensive personal information for up to 143 million Americans, is not the largest such recent cyberattack. But it is by far the worst. … This breach is also the worst because the company's response has been so abysmal.
Who hacked into Equifax?
According to the nine-count indictment handed down by the grand jury in Atlanta, four members of the Chinese People's Liberation Army are alleged to have conspired to hack Equifax as computer systems and commit economic espionage.