Equifax Says Cyber Attack May Have Hit 143 Million Customers
Equifax Says Cyber Attack May Have Hit 143 Million
Customers
By Tom Giles September 7, 2017, 1:47 PM PDT September 7,
2017, 2:01 PM PDT
Equifax Inc. said its systems were struck by a
cybersecurity incident that may have affected about 143 million U.S. consumers,
shedding light on what could be ranked as one of the largest breaches in
history.
Intruders accessed names, Social Security numbers, birth
dates, addresses and driver’s license numbers, Equifax said in a statement.
Credit card numbers for about 209,000 consumers were also accessed, the company
said. Equifax shares dropped more than five percent in after-hours trading.
"This is clearly a disappointing event for our
company, and one that strikes at the heart of who we are and what we do. I
apologize to consumers and our business customers for the concern and
frustration this causes," Chief Executive Officer Richard Smith said in
the statement.
Criminals took advantage of a U.S. website application
vulnerability to gain access to files during a period stretching from mid-May
through July of this year. The intruders accessed credit card information for
about 209,000 consumers and dispute documents with personal identifying
information for about 182,000 consumers, Equifax said.
Some U.K. and Canadian residents were also affected. The
company is working with regulators in both countries. It uncovered the breach
on July 29.
The incident ranks among the largest cybersecurity
breaches in history.
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