EQUIFAX DATA BREACH
“Equifax Says Cyberattack May Have Affected 143 Million Customers” via New York Times 9/7/2017
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This breach is a big deal. One of the “big three” credit rating agencies, Equifax has a lot of sensitive data on all of us. It’s hard to think of a juicier target for cyber thieves.
News of massive cyberattack are now all too common. The targets of cyberattack seem to only get bigger, the attacks more sophisticated. Equifax’s admission yesterday that its data was compromised sometime before July 29 (and they only tells us now!?) is a stark reminder that cyberattacks, identity theft, and fraud are inevitable. Even large companies, including Equifax, whose core function is security, are not immune. We are all victims of cybercrime; the few who haven’t yet been directly affected will be—someday. It’s only a matter of time.
It’s still good policy to exercise caution and do all you can to be less vulnerable to attack, of course, but cyber security is now mostly about how to recover afterward, how to manage the situation. If you haven’t read the news yet, here’s the story with ideas on how look into the matter: “Equifax Says Cyberattack May Have Affected 143 Million Customers” via New York Times 9/7/2017
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FOR A QUICK CHECK on whether you’ve been affected by the latest attack, go to trustedidpremier.com. When I filled in my last name and last six digits of my social security number, I was told: “Based on the information provided, we believe that your personal information was not impacted by this incident.” However, don’t take this good news as absolute truth. Click to enroll in the TrustedID monitoring (free), and be vigilant. Go through your monthly credit card statements for suspicious charges, even small ones (thieves will often test a stolen card number with a small charge before a large charge later.) And, if you haven’t seen your credit report lately or don’t already engage with Equifax, TransUnion, Experian, or another company to monitor your credit and identity, go to annualcreditreport.com for a free credit report. (By law, everyone is allowed a free annual look at their credit report. Don’t feel compelled to act on any upselling the site may do if there’s no evidence of fraudulent activity.)
If you have been affected by the breach, or see what might be fraudulent activity on your credit report or elsewhere, give us a call.
