What is Equifax?
Equifax is a credit reporting agency that collects and maintains information on consumers’ credit history. The company recently suffered a data breach in which hackers gained access to the personal information of up to 143 million Americans. This includes names, Social Security numbers, dates of birth, addresses, and in some cases driver’s license numbers and credit card numbers. Equifax has set up a website where you can check to see if your information was exposed in the breach. You will need to provide your last name and the last six digits of your Social Security number. The website will then tell you if your information was exposed. If you find out that your information was exposed, you should take steps to protect yourself from identity theft. This includes monitoring your credit report for suspicious activity, placing a fraud alert on your file, and freezing your credit.
What is the Equifax data breach?
On September 7, 2017, Equifax announced a data breach that exposed the personal information of approximately 143 million U.S. consumers. The exposed information included names, Social Security numbers, birth dates, addresses and, in some instances, driver’s license numbers. In addition, credit card numbers for 209,000 consumers and certain dispute documents with personal identifying information for 182,000 consumers were also exposed. Equifax has set up a website (www.equifaxsecurity2017.com) where you can check to see if your information was impacted by the breach. You will need to provide your last name and the last six digits of your Social Security number to do so. If you find out that your information was exposed in the Equifax data breach, there are steps you can take to help protect yourself from identity theft and fraud:
Place a fraud alert on your credit file by contacting one of the three major credit reporting agencies – Experian (1-888-397-3742), TransUnion (1-800-680-7289) or Equifax (1-800-525-6285). This will notify creditors that they should take extra steps to verify your identity before opening new accounts or issuing lines of credit in your name. Consider placing a freeze on your credit file at all three credit reporting agencies – Experian (1-888-397-3742), TransUnion (1-888-909-8872) or Equifax (1-800-685-1111). This will prevent creditors from accessing your credit file, which will make it more difficult for them to open new accounts or lines of credit in your name. Review your credit report from all three credit reporting agencies – Experian (www.experian.com), TransUnion (www.transunion.com) and Equifax (www.equifax.com) – to look for any suspicious activity. You are entitled to a free copy of your credit report from each agency once every 12 months. Monitor your financial accounts closely for any unusual activity and report any suspicious activity to your financial institution immediately. Be extra vigilant about guarding your personal information and monitoring your credit file for the next several months, as criminals may try to use the exposed information to commit fraud in the future.
How to check if you’re affected by the Equifax data breach?
If you’re concerned that your personal information may have been affected by the recent Equifax data breach, there are a few steps you can take to check. First, visit the Equifax website and enter your last name and the last six digits of your Social Security number. This will tell you if you were impacted by the breach. If you were affected, Equifax will offer you free credit monitoring and identity theft protection services. You can also place a fraud alert or credit freeze on your account to help protect yourself from identity theft in the future. If you’re not sure whether or not your information was compromised, it’s always better to err on the side of caution. These steps can help you protect yourself and your finances in the wake of this major data breach.
What to do if you’re affected by the Equifax data breach?
If you believe you may have been affected by the Equifax data breach, there are a few steps you can take. First, visit the Equifax website and enter your last name and the last six digits of your Social Security number to see if your information was impacted. If it was, you will be able to enroll in complimentary identity theft protection and credit file monitoring services. You should also consider placing a fraud alert or credit freeze on your files with the major credit reporting agencies. This will make it more difficult for criminals to open new accounts in your name. Finally, keep an eye on your credit report and financial accounts for any suspicious activity.
How to prevent future data breaches?
In the wake of the Equifax data breach, many consumers are wondering what they can do to prevent future data breaches. While there is no foolproof way to prevent all data breaches, there are some steps you can take to reduce your risk. First, make sure your personal information is as secure as possible. This means using strong passwords and keeping them confidential. You should also avoid using the same password at multiple sites. If a site you use is compromised, a hacker will have access to all of your accounts that use that password. Second, keep an eye on your credit report and score. Data breaches often lead to identity theft, which can damage your credit score. By monitoring your credit report, you can catch any suspicious activity early and take steps to resolve it. Third, consider freezing your credit. This will prevent new creditors from accessing your credit report, making it more difficult for them to open new accounts in your name. If you do decide to freeze your credit, be sure to keep track of the PIN or password you use to unfreeze it, as you’ll need this information if you ever want to apply for new credit in the future. Taking these steps won’t guarantee that you’ll never be a victim of a data breach, but they can help reduce your risk.
What happened in the Equifax data breach?
In September of 2017, Equifax, one of the three major credit reporting agencies in the United States, announced that it had suffered a data breach. The breach affected approximately 143 million people, and exposed sensitive information such as social security numbers, birthdates, addresses, and driver’s license numbers. Equifax has come under fire for its handling of the breach; specifically, for not disclosing the incident sooner, and for offering a year of free credit monitoring to those affected (a service that Equifax itself provides). Many have criticized this as an inadequate response to such a large-scale data breach.
How to check if your personal information was exposed in the Equifax data breach?
If you’re one of the 143 million Americans affected by the Equifax data breach, you may be wondering how to check if your personal information was exposed. Here are three steps to take:
What to do if your information was exposed?
If you believe your information may have been exposed in the Equifax data breach, there are a few steps you can take to help protect your identity. First, check if your information was actually exposed by visiting Equifax’s website dedicated to the data breach: https://www.equifaxsecurity2017.com/. Enter your last name and the last six digits of your Social Security number to see if your information was impacted. If your information was exposed, Equifax is offering free credit monitoring and identity theft protection services for one year. You can enroll in these services by visiting their website or calling their dedicated call center at 866-447-7559. In addition, it’s a good idea to place a fraud alert on your credit reports. This will make it more difficult for someone to open new accounts in your name. You can place a fraud alert by contacting one of the three major credit reporting agencies: Experian, TransUnion, or Equifax. Finally, be extra vigilant in monitoring your financial accounts and credit report for signs of fraud or identity theft. If you notice anything suspicious, report it immediately to the proper authorities.
How to protect yourself from future data breaches?
It’s important to protect yourself from future data breaches, especially if you were impacted by the Equifax data breach. Here are some steps you can take:
Conclusion
The Equifax data breach was a major wake-up call for consumers and businesses alike. Checking to see if your data was compromised is important, but it’s only the first step. Once you know your data was breached, you need to take steps to protect yourself from identity theft and fraud. This includes monitoring your credit report, updating your passwords, and being extra vigilant about suspicious activity on your accounts.
