ATLANTA — Equifax announced today that a cybersecurity incident potentially impacting 143 million United States consumers occurred from mid-May through July 2017.
According to the release, the information accessed includes names, Social Security numbers, birth dates, addresses and driver’s license numbers. Credit card numbers for approximately 209,000 consumers and certain dispute documents with personal identifying information for approximately 182,000 consumers, were accessed, the release states.
“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,” said Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, Richard F. Smith. “We pride ourselves on being a leader in managing and protecting data, and we are conducting a thorough review of our overall security operations. We also are focused on consumer protection and have developed a comprehensive portfolio of services to support all U.S. consumers, regardless of whether they were impacted by this incident.”
Equifax discovered the unauthorized access on July 29. The company engaged a cybersecurity firm that has been conducting a review to determine the scope of the intrusion, the release says. Equifax also reported the incident to law enforcement.
Consumers can visit www.equifaxsecurity2017.com to determine if their information has been impacted and to sign up for credit file monitoring and identity theft protection. The website also provides additional information on steps consumers can take to protect their personal information.
The release adds that Equifax will send direct mail notices to consumers whose credit card numbers or dispute documents were impacted.
Equifax recommends that consumers with additional questions visit www.equifaxsecurity2017.com or contact a dedicated call center at 866-447-7559, which the company set up to assist consumers. The call center is open every day (including weekends) from 7:00 a.m. – 1:00 a.m. Eastern time.
