![]() This can have lasting consequences on a victim’s credit score and finances. And because some of the data, like Social Security numbers, don’t change, criminals can sell this information on the black market in the future. This allows hackers to not only use your credit cards to make purchases, but to steal your identity and even open up bank accounts and credit cards in your name. Unlike many previous data breaches, which revealed email addresses or passwords, the data leaked in the Equifax breach included highly sensitive personal identifying information. “It was this unpatched vulnerability that allowed hackers to access personal identifying information.”īecause the company’s IT team neglected to follow cybersecurity standards and install a patch for a two-month-old bug - despite being alerted to the bug’s existence - 143 million Americans’ personal information was put at jeopardy. “The vulnerability remained in an Equifax web application much longer than it should have,” Smith said in a written testimony. ![]() Shortly after, former Equifax CEO Richard Smith confirmed that hackers took advantage of this unpatched vulnerability. The consumer credit reporting agency came under additional fire in the weeks after the breach was announced for allegedly flawed cybersecurity measures that allowed hackers easy access to sensitive consumer data.Ĭybersecurity experts discovered that Equifax failed to install a patch in March, allowing hackers to exploit a vulnerability in the system in May, according to tech publication WIRED. Approximately 147.9 million consumers were impacted by the Equifax data breach.Įquifax Data Breach Was Completely Preventable, Experts Say March 1, 2018: Equifax announces that an additional 2.4 million Americans were affected by last year's data breach. 11, 2018: Documents submitted to Congress reveal that the data stolen in Equifax data breach also included tax identification numbers and driver’s license states and issuance dates. 26, 2017: Equifax CEO Richard Smith announces his retirement “effective immediately,” weeks after the company revealed the massive data breach.įeb. 12, 2017: Equifax CEO Richard Smith issues an apology to the public in a USA Today op-ed, calling the breach “the most humbling moment in our 118-year history.” Morgan & Morgan attorney John Yanchunis files a class action against credit bureau Equifax. 7, 2017: Equifax publicly announces the data breach. Late-July, 2017: Equifax discovers that hackers have infiltrated company servers and gained access to the consumer information of 143 million Americans. Mid-May, 2017: Hackers gain unauthorized access to Equifax’s consumer data. Here are the series of events that took place before, during, and after Equifax announced its data breach: This gave cybercriminals weeks of unfettered access to the information before victims knew they were at risk. Previous consumers affected had their Social Security numbers, driver's license numbers, tax ID numbers, and other highly sensitive data exposed.Įquifax has been criticized by consumer advocates, lawyers, and government officials alike for the length of time it took the company to publicly reveal the data breach. The company claims that the additional people affected by the data breach only had their names and a partial driver's license number stolen by hackers. Update: : Equifax announces that an additional 2.4 million Americans were affected by last year's data breach, bringing the total number of people impacted up to approximately 147.9 million consumers. Some consumers also had their tax ID numbers and driver's license states and issuance dates exposed, putting them at risk of fraudulent tax filings. The hackers made off with an additional 209,000 consumers’ credit card numbers. The Equifax data breach revealed a treasure trove of highly sensitive personal information for hackers, including: The Information Revealed in the Equifax Data Breach Fill out this form on our page to find out if you’re eligible to participate in a class action lawsuit today. If you suffered financial damages as a result of the Equifax data breach, our attorneys want to hear from you. Our attorneys are investigating claims that consumer credit reporting agency Equifax’s negligent cybersecurity measures resulted in 143 million Americans’ personal data being exposed by hackers, putting consumers at risk for identity theft, financial losses, and more.
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