BackEquifax says cyber attack may have hit 143 million US customers
In what is being seen as one of the largest data breaches in history, hackers accessed names, Social Security numbers, birth dates, addresses, driver's licence numbers and credit card numbers on Equifax systems
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San Francisco: Equifax Inc. said its systems were struck by a cybersecurity incident that may have affected about 143 million US consumers, shedding light on what could be ranked as one of the largest data breaches in history.
Intruders accessed names, Social Security numbers, birth dates, addresses and driver’s licence 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 5% 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," Equifax chief executive Richard Smith said in the statement.
Criminals took advantage of a US 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 UK and Canadian residents were also affected. The company is working with regulators in both countries. It uncovered the breach on 29 July.
The incident ranks among the largest cybersecurity breaches in history. Bloomberg
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