Equifax says personal data of 143 million customers exposed in cyber attack

Equifax says a cyber attack leveraged against the company has exposed the personal data of approximately 143 million U.S. consumers.

Credit-reporting company Equifax has just announced a major cyber security breach that has exposed the data of approximately 143 million U.S. consumers.

What data was exposed?

The company says the following data was accessed:

• names
• Social Security numbers
• birth dates
• addresses
• driver's license numbers
• credit card numbers (approx. 209,000 U.S. consumers)
• dispute documents (approx. 182,000 U.S. consumers)

Equifax says the data of some UK and Canadian residents may have been exposed as well.

When did this happen?

The company discovered the intrusion on July 29 and believes the intrusion happened between mid-May and July 2017.

What did Equifax do when it discovered the intrusion?

The company says it immediately took action to stop the breach. It also hired a cybersecurity firm to learn more about the breach and determine how much data was exposed:

The company promptly engaged a leading, independent cybersecurity firm that has been conducting a comprehensive forensic review to determine the scope of the intrusion, including the specific data impacted. Equifax also reported the criminal access to law enforcement and continues to work with authorities. While the company's investigation is substantially complete, it remains ongoing and is expected to be completed in the coming weeks.

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