Giant Equifax data breach: 143 million people could be affected

[ducks]

http://money.cnn.com/2017/09/07/technology/business/equifax-data-breach/index.html

[DarrinS]

This is a huge story, but everyone is obsessed with TrumpRussia.

[DarrinS]

These fucks got hacked in May, discovered it at the end of July, and announced it publicly in September.

Smfh

And now they're offering free credit monitoring to everyone. Why would I trust them?


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bh1gzJFVFLc

[ElNono]

UPDATE (9/7/17): According to Bloomberg (https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2017-09-07/three-equifax-executives-sold-stock-before-revealing-cyber-hack), "three Equifax senior executives sold shares worth almost $1.8 million" in the days after the company discovered the security breach. Regulatory filings show that three days after the breach was discovered on July 29th, Chief Financial Officer John Gamble sold shares worth $946,374 and Joseph Loughran, president of U.S. information solutions, exercised options to dispose of stock worth $584,099." Meanwhile, "Rodolfo Ploder, president of workforce solutions, sold $250,458 of stock on Aug. 2."

[DarrinS]

UPDATE (9/7/17): According to Bloomberg (https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2017-09-07/three-equifax-executives-sold-stock-before-revealing-cyber-hack), "three Equifax senior executives sold shares worth almost $1.8 million" in the days after the company discovered the security breach. Regulatory filings show that three days after the breach was discovered on July 29th, Chief Financial Officer John Gamble sold shares worth $946,374 and Joseph Loughran, president of U.S. information solutions, exercised options to dispose of stock worth $584,099." Meanwhile, "Rodolfo Ploder, president of workforce solutions, sold $250,458 of stock on Aug. 2."


:lol Fuckin assholes. I'd have probably done the same tho

[DMX7]

UPDATE (9/7/17): According to Bloomberg (https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2017-09-07/three-equifax-executives-sold-stock-before-revealing-cyber-hack), "three Equifax senior executives sold shares worth almost $1.8 million" in the days after the company discovered the security breach. Regulatory filings show that three days after the breach was discovered on July 29th, Chief Financial Officer John Gamble sold shares worth $946,374 and Joseph Loughran, president of U.S. information solutions, exercised options to dispose of stock worth $584,099." Meanwhile, "Rodolfo Ploder, president of workforce solutions, sold $250,458 of stock on Aug. 2."

That actually doesn't seem like a huge dumping for executives. I guess it depends on how much they had.

[boutons_deux]

That actually doesn't seem like a huge dumping for executives. I guess it depends on how much they had.

yep, a Repug SEC wouldn't GAF about execs dumping stock based on non-public, insider HORRIBLE information.

[UNT Eagles 2016]

fortunately I got a great credit score

[Xevious]

fortunately I got a great credit score
I'm sure the hackers with your SSN are happy to hear that.

[spurraider21]

This is a huge story, but everyone is obsessed with TrumpRussia.
It's a good thing you've posted in that thread more than here tbh

[DarrinS]

It's a good thing you've posted in that thread more than here tbh

What are the odds I've posted more in a months-old thread than one started yesterday? :rolleyes

[ElNono]

What are the odds I've posted more in a months-old thread than one started yesterday? :rolleyes

97.5%

[boutons_deux]

https://theintercept.com/2017/09/08/equifax-is-proving-why-forced-arbitration-clauses-ought-to-be-banned-just-like-the-cfpb-wants-to-do/

[boutons_deux]

https://techcrunch.com/2017/09/08/psa-no-matter-what-you-write-equifax-may-tell-you-youve-been-impacted-by-the-hack/?ncid=rss

[Th'Pusher]

:lol Fuckin assholes. I'd have probably done the same tho

So you're an admitted unscrupulous asshole provided the opportunity. Nice. :td

[DarrinS]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aS6z0bEpVpM

[DarrinS]

I still haven't received my confirmation email from Equifax.

[boutons_deux]

Equifax Argentina's password was "admin"

[DarrinS]

Equifax Argentina's password was "admin"

Crazy if true

[Axl Rose]

Anyone gotten their shit pushed in as a result of this yet? Credit monitoring might not be a bad idea

[DarrinS]

Anyone gotten their shit pushed in as a result of this yet? Credit monitoring might not be a bad idea

I have several things set up to warn me about any shenanigans. Nothing yet.

[DarrinS]

By the way, these credit reporting companies are notoriously fucked up. Years ago, there was an error on my report that indicated I defaulted on a mortgage in 1973. I was born in 1969.

Took me forever to get corrected.

[pgardn]

fortunately I got a great credit score

The massive borrowing from the food pantry sent it beyond personal credit and into Moody's bond rating.
You are a huge economic machine with massive financial inertia. Flour, Corn Flakes, Pop Tarts, flying off the shelves...

A F'N territorial Commonwealth you are.
Fortunately.

[rmt]

I'm not taking out any loan or applying for new credit card so I'm going to lock it down (much cheaper and more secure than any credit monitoring service):

https://www.consumerreports.org/equifax/how-to-lock-down-your-money-after-the-equifax-breach/

[DarrinS]

I'm not taking out any loan or applying for new credit card so I'm going to lock it down (much cheaper and more secure than any credit monitoring service):

https://www.consumerreports.org/equifax/how-to-lock-down-your-money-after-the-equifax-breach/


That's a good option for some of us, but the younger folks trying to buy a car or home, that sucks.

[rmt]

By the way, these credit reporting companies are notoriously fucked up. Years ago, there was an error on my report that indicated I defaulted on a mortgage in 1973. I was born in 1969.

Took me forever to get corrected.

This is my dilemma: 16 year old ds is not out there yet (according to Innovis) - haven't run any credit report or gotten him a credit card (I usually do this when dc turn 16 to start building credit). So do I get him a credit card and have to start monitoring and locking him down or just wait until he's 18. Theoretically, he's a minor and can't enter any loan/cc contract and I assume that when they say that a minor's identity can be stolen, it means to claim something like EIC. What are you guys doing about your kids?

[rmt]

That's a good option for some of us, but the younger folks trying to buy a car or home, that sucks.

Or applying for jobs - they run credit checks.

[DarrinS]

This is my dilemma: 16 year old ds is not out there yet (according to Innovis) - haven't run any credit report or gotten him a credit card (I usually do this when dc turn 16 to start building credit). So do I get him a credit card and have to start monitoring and locking him down or just wait until he's 18. Theoretically, he's a minor and can't enter any loan/cc contract and I assume that when they say that a minor's identity can be stolen, it means to claim something like EIC. What are you guys doing about your kids?


I remember back in college, being mailed tons of credit card applications. So uncool.

I'm going to TRY to get my kids to be debt free through college.

After that, I would recommend they get some small loan that's easily paid off.

[rmt]

I remember back in college, being mailed tons of credit card applications. So uncool.

I'm going to TRY to get my kids to be debt free through college.

After that, I would recommend they get some small loan that's easily paid off.

The thing with this generation is that they get so used to paying by credit/debit card instead of cash/check eg. dd will drive to McDonalds and charge a fish sandwich on her credit card. I'm like why didn't you pay cash?

And the colleges encourage payment of vending (laundry, snacks), meal plan, bookstore, housing, tuition etc using ID card connected to bank account for convenience (carry only one card). It's hard to get away from - have to pay airfare, airbnb, uber, shuttle from/to airport by cc.

[DarrinS]

The thing with this generation is that they get so used to paying by credit/debit card instead of cash/check eg. dd will drive to McDonalds and charge a fish sandwich on her credit card. I'm like why didn't you pay cash?

And the colleges encourage payment of vending (laundry, snacks), meal plan, bookstore, housing, tuition etc using ID card connected to bank account for convenience (carry only one card). It's hard to get away from - have to pay airfare, airbnb, uber, shuttle from/to airport by cc.


True. I just try to lead by example. I don't finance vehicles any more, for example. I just drive old beaters that I pay cash for.

[baseline bum]

I have several things set up to warn me about any shenanigans. Nothing yet.

What's the name of that restaurant you like with all the goofy shit on the walls and the mozzarella sticks?

[RandomGuy]

:lol Fuckin assholes. I'd have probably done the same tho

You would potentially go to jail for insider trading, just as may happen here.

What they did is a BIG no-no.

[RandomGuy]

What's the name of that restaurant you like with all the goofy shit on the walls and the mozzarella sticks?

Chuck E Cheese?

[RandomGuy]

The massive borrowing from the food pantry sent it beyond personal credit and into Moody's bond rating.
You are a huge economic machine with massive financial inertia. Flour, Corn Flakes, Pop Tarts, flying off the shelves...

A F'N territorial Commonwealth you are.
Fortunately.

:lmao

Don't hold back.

[RandomGuy]

Chatbot lets you sue Equifax for up to $25,000 without a lawyer

https://www.theverge.com/2017/9/11/16290730/equifax-chatbots-ai-joshua-browder-security-breach

[RandomGuy]

Equifax Faces Multibillion-Dollar Lawsuit Over Hack

Class action seeking to represent 143 million consumers alleges company didn’t spend enough on protecting data.


The case was filed by the firm Olsen Daines PC along with Geragos & Geragos, a celebrity law firm known for blockbuster class actions. Ben Meiselas, an attorney for Geragos, said the class will seek as much as $70 billion in damages nationally.

Equifax didn’t respond to request for comment on the matter.

No shit. :lol

[RandomGuy]

Equifax is already facing the largest class-action lawsuit in US history

mm, who could have seen this coming? Less than 24 hours after Equifax revealed that all of its customers’ personal info had been plundered by hackers, the company is facing a multi-billion-dollar consumer lawsuit, and an investigation by at least one state attorney general.

The proposed class-action lawsuit was filed in Portland, Oregon federal court. In the suit, users allege that Equifax was negligent in its protection of data, and chose to save money rather than safeguard customer dat

[RandomGuy]

http://www.geragos.com/contact

Contact page for one firm mentioned above.

(edit)

This is the firm I contacted.

I will post back when I get a response, so you can know how to join.

[RandomGuy]

http://olsendaines.com/contact-us/

Other firm contact page.

[boutons_deux]

Scalia would kill the class action because victims lack "commonality", like underpaid women at walmart

[boutons_deux]

Cost me 3 x $10 fee to freeze at each of these financial dictators, plus $13 in registered mail.

Then Equifax, bless their black hearts, said they were waiving the $10 fee.

[rmt]

Took me a long time to find these automated security freeze numbers (seriously, it's like they hide them so that you'll give up and sign up for their protection programs) but if you don't want to send copies of your info to the credit agencies through the mail: Trans Union 1-888-909-8872 (you choose your own 6 digit PIN number so have one ready) and Experian 1-888-397-3742 (have your credit card ready because any pause and they'll throw you out and you have to start all over again).

If you do Equifax security freeze online during peak hours, it will not go through and prompt you to mail your documents in - ignore that. Don't give up - keep trying at non-peak hours (11pm is when I got through) - their security is extremely lax - with your address, SS, DOB they will issue you a PIN onscreen (not mailed to your mailing address) - therefore, anyone who has your info can get your pin number and lock you out while your documents are in the mail. I encourage you to get them locked as soon as possible.

[rmt]

And how long is it gonna take them to process your documents/mail out PINs for millions of people? They are inundated.

[DarrinS]

And how long is it gonna take them to process your documents/mail out PINs for millions of people? They are inundated.

I still haven't received a return email from them.

[boutons_deux]

The Real Problem with Equifax

There are many businesses in which the cost and assumed liability of taking possession of certain goods – real or intellectual – is quite high. Indeed, that is often a major part of the business model itself – they are paid to take on that liability.

breaches that are nonetheless quite large happen basically all the time and the costs to the company are usually negligible.

there’s a big PR hit and there’s usually some fine. But

the costs in fraud and disruption in the lives of affected consumers totally dwarfs the financial cost to the company.

On the most basic measure,

the costs are not great enough to prevent companies like Equifax from making really basic mistakes like failing to install new security patches in a timely manner.

It’s a cost of doing business.

a key part of the problem: consumers aren’t Equifax’s customers. They’re the product.

You’re the product.

Banks and other lenders like credit agencies because they offer a systematized and standardized way of evaluating risk.

The banks are the customers.

Credit rating agencies would prefer never to deal with consumers at all.

they’ve developed a secondary business in selling consumers services to help them protect themselves against errors or security breaches by credit rating agencies.

It’s possible that once you make the credit rating bureaus – and other companies that collect this much data – take on the liability for the dangers inherent in their business no one will be willing to do it.

Because

companies can make tons of money evaluating and storing and selling potentially fraud-enabling personal data.

If they screw up and it gets stolen, there’s no substantial penalty.

It’s your problem.

http://talkingpointsmemo.com/edblog/the-real-problem-with-equifax?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+tpm-news+%28TPMNews%29

[rmt]

I still haven't received a return email from them.

How secure is email? I didn't want to mail my documents - even if registered, too many variables involved - how long is it gonna take, are they gonna dispose of the documents properly and are their employees secure? I'm paranoid now - so I thought that the automated phone system or me directly inputting the info online were the best methods.

Dd did hers very early (I was dealing with the hurricane) and would you believe that Equifax gave her the date she froze it as her PIN - so insecure. I guess they keep changing/improving - now it's a random 10-digit number onscreen - they should be mailing the PIN to address on file.

[Xevious]

Just a heads up too, if you accept the free credit monitoring Equifax is offering, you waive the right to take part in any class action suit if you were going to.

[rmt]

Just a heads up too, if you accept the free credit monitoring Equifax is offering, you waive the right to take part in any class action suit if you were going to.

I think it's free for a year and watch out for them (automatically) charging you after the year is up.

[DMC]

This "data breech" shit really stinks of Lifelock tbh. What do these companies do when they get breeched? They buy Lifelock for everyone involved for one year, then Lifelock tries to up sell you and they act like you're going into the DMZ if you don't renew.

As if these monitoring companies have trustworthy employees, the only trustworthy employees in the world, and they cannot be hacked.

Seems like circular reasoning, a scam.

[rmt]

This "data breech" shit really stinks of Lifelock tbh. What do these companies do when they get breeched? They buy Lifelock for everyone involved for one year, then Lifelock tries to up sell you and they act like you're going into the DMZ if you don't renew.

As if these monitoring companies have trustworthy employees, the only trustworthy employees in the world, and they cannot be hacked.

Seems like circular reasoning, a scam.

In the end you have to at least trust the IT personnel of any company (because they have access - both display and update - to the database/warehouse) This is not even mentioning how trustworthy the employees from a call center in India is who has access to all your sensitive info. I'm just surprised that they haven't hacked one of the big 3 - they are the ultimate in financial/personal info - it's kinda scary that they know my address from college days - a long time ago).

[boutons_deux]

BigFinance fucking America every minute

And of course the Repugs, "destroyers of the administrative state" and toxic WHORES to BigFinance, will do nothing and block all attempts to regulate.


All the reasons you should be absolutely furious at Equifax—and the entire credit bureau industry

Old Blackbeard himself would have admired the ingenuity of a business set up to

grab sensitive information about citizens without their consent,

conjure property rights over that data by concocting proprietary formulas, and

sell it to the highest bidder. So much the better if private information falls into the hands of criminals—

companies can sell protection services to the same hapless citizens.

Indeed, credit bureaus are designed to take you coming and going.

Their reports, often based on suspect and opaque (http://digitalcommons.law.yale.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1122&context=yjolt) data-mining techniques, are

riddled with falsehoods that can rob consumers of favorable loans.

Yet the

companies have mostly succeeded in escaping liability (http://www.cleveland.com/consumeraffairs/index.ssf/2013/09/cfpb_warns_creditors_theyre_ac.html) for these errors.

Even worse, they can handily

profit from these same errors by charging for monitoring services and credit freezes.

Anyone who has tried to get a correction to a credit report knows that the process is slow and onerous. And

if you do have the time to dispute an error on your report,

it can actually negatively affect your credit score (http://blog.credit.com/2015/03/what-happens-when-you-dispute-something-on-your-credit-report-112460/) until the dispute is resolved.

The oligopolistic “Big Three” credit bureaus—TransUnion, Experian, and Equifax—

exist to reap billions in profit from your personal information and

make it easy for lenders to charge you the highest possible interest rates.

Their

use of your data could result in the loss of a potential home or a job.

Yet when they screw up, they have little more to fear than a negligible fine.

https://qz.com/1079490/the-equifax-breach-is-proof-its-time-to-overhaul-the-credit-bureau-industry/?mc_cid=b660e309fa&mc_eid=47e367557b

America is fucked and unfuckable, and the oligarchy/Repug whores are fucking Americans deeper and harder every day.

Same type of corruption by the bond ratings agencies, as we saw in the Banksters' Great Depression, they are whores to BigFinance, paid to falsify BigFinance's "deals" as AAA.

[boutons_deux]

As Equifax Amassed Ever More Data, Safety Was a Sales Pitch

Equifax’s chief executive had a simple strategy when he joined more than a decade ago: Gather as much personal data as possible and find new ways to sell it.

The company was making good money compiling credit reports on Americans. But Wall Street wanted stronger growth.

The chief executive, Richard F. Smith, delivered, releasing dozens of new products each year and doubling revenue.

The company built algorithms and started scrubbing social media to assess consumers. In a big data collection coup,

Equifax persuaded more than 7,000 employers to hand over salary details for an income verification system that now encompasses nearly half of American workers.

As part of its pitch to clients, the company promised to safeguard information.

It even sold (http://www.equifax.com/help/data-breach-solutions2/) products (http://www.equifax.com/help/data-breach-solutions2/) to help companies hit by cyberattacks protect their customers.

“Data breaches are on the rise. Be prepared,” the company said in one pitch. “You’ll feel safer with Equifax.”

https://www.nytimes.com/2017/09/23/business/equifax-data-breach.html

[spurraider21]

This "data breech" shit really stinks of Lifelock tbh. What do these companies do when they get breeched? They buy Lifelock for everyone involved for one year, then Lifelock tries to up sell you and they act like you're going into the DMZ if you don't renew.

As if these monitoring companies have trustworthy employees, the only trustworthy employees in the world, and they cannot be hacked.

Seems like circular reasoning, a scam.
yes and antivirus companies send out viruses

and big pharma is planting diseases in our water supply

etc, etc

[DMC]

yes and antivirus companies send out viruses

and big pharma is planting diseases in our water supply

etc, etc

they fuck you in the drive through

[Spurminator]

:lmao

IRS awards multimillion-dollar fraud-prevention contract to Equifax
The no-bid contract was issued last week, as the company continued facing fallout from its massive security breach.


http://www.politico.com/story/2017/10/03/equifax-irs-fraud-protection-contract-243419

[ducks]

is not the head guy on irs some liberal

[spurraider21]

is not the head guy on irs some liberal
*ding*

[boutons_deux]

How Equifax Breach Could Cost US Consumers $4.1 Billion

to place a freeze on their credit report. Depending on which state you live in, that can range in cost from zero to $10, and a request to “unfreeze” or “thaw” the report may cost a similar amount.

Only four states — Indiana, Maine, North Carolina, South Carolina — require the firms to provide both freezes and “thaws” at no charge to consumers. Four other states — Colorado, Maryland, New Jersey, New York — require the firms to provide freezes at no charge but allow them to charge for thawing the freeze either temporarily or permanently. Victims of identity theft get free freezes and thaws in every state, and many states waive or reduce fees for certain categories of consumers.

If all 148 million consumers in the other 42 states and the District of Columbia ordered a credit freeze today, Equifax, Experian and TransUnion (NYSE: TRU), the three major U.S. credit reporting companies, would rack up $4.1 billion in revenues, according to researchers at U.S. Public Interest Research Group (USPIRG).

The fees the firms charge vary by state. In Texas, for example, a freeze costs $10 at Experian and TransUnion and $10.83 at Equifax (includes tax). Temporary or permanent thaws cost the same. To get the best protection from misuse of the data stolen from Equifax, consumers are urged to freeze their credit reports at all three firms. That will cost Texans $30.83.

USPIRG calculates that fees to freeze all records for all Texans would dump $509 million into the revenue stream of the three firms. An interactive map (http://www.google.com/maps/d/u/0/viewer?mid=1mbK8460K0auiTUsxWsvu4bVnJ4Q&ll=32.359397420495974%2C-110.63278387499997&z=3) at the USPIRG website gives the fees in all 50 states.

http://247wallst.com/banking-finance/2017/10/04/how-equifax-breach-could-cost-us-consumers-4-1-billion/?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+typepad%2FRyNm+%2824%2F7+Wall +St.%29

BigFinance ALWAYS wins, ALWAYS defrauding, fleecing citizens.

[monosylab1k]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=APZDqhR8KKk

:lmao

[ElNono]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=APZDqhR8KKk

:lmao

lol here's a longer video.


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JbRR7nyOJVQ

[boutons_deux]

Equifax Was Warned

The researcher's findings, in other words, showed there were multiple ways into Equifax's networks. Months later, the hackers, who stole the records of 145.5 million Americans and 700,000 Brits (https://www.reuters.com/article/us-equifax-cyber/equifax-says-15-2-million-uk-records-exposed-in-cyber-breach-idUSKBN1CF2JU), exploited more than 30 different servers, according to Bloomberg (https://www.bloomberg.com/news/features/2017-09-29/the-equifax-hack-has-all-the-hallmarks-of-state-sponsored-pros). Considering all the bugs and vulnerabilities they identified, the

anonymous security researcher is convinced Equifax wasn't just hacked by one group of attackers.
"If it took me three hours to find that website, I definitely think I'm not the only one who found it," they said.

"It wasn't just one breach. It was maybe dozens."

many in the information security world say Equifax didn't do enough to keep our data safe.

That opinion is also held by many former Equifax employees, who told me the company didn't take security seriously enough.

Motherboard spoke to 14 former Equifax employees

While there was no consensus, the majority of former employees, some of whom worked in the security team or alongside it, said a

breach like this was inevitable.
"The degree of risk [Equifax] assumes is found, by most of the IT staff who worked elsewhere, to be preposterous,"

Equifax hired Deloitte last year to do a security audit. The audit found several problems, including a careless approach to patching systems, according to the former employee.

"Nobody took that security audit seriously,"

the former cybersecurity team employee told me.

"Every time there was a discussion about doing something, we had a tough time to get management to understand what we were even asking."

Equifax brings in security consultants regularly.

One year, according to the former employee who worked in IT, he and his team found that

someone had programmed files to be inappropriately wiped on multiple servers—an act of internal sabotage, he said.

But the team had no way of discovering who did it—there were no activity logs or ways to track who had set up the script.

https://motherboard.vice.com/en_us/article/ne3bv7/equifax-breach-social-security-numbers-researcher-warning?utm_campaign=Motherboard+Premium+Newslette r+-+1026&utm_content=Motherboard+Premium+Newsletter+-+1026+CID_a9c653dd1fce5713531edaa625fbd95d&utm_medium=email&utm_source=Campaign+Monitor&utm_term=Read+more

[boutons_deux]

Equifax hack worse than previously thought: Biz kissed goodbye to card expiry dates, tax IDs etc

The outfit already said cyber-crooks "primarily" took

names,

social security numbers,

birth dates,

home addresses,

credit-score dispute forms, and, in some instances,

credit card numbers and driver license numbers.

Now the credit-checking giant reckons the intruders snatched even more information from its databases.

According to documents provided by Equifax to the US Senate Banking Committee, and revealed this month (https://apnews.com/2a51e3e5f9a945978df4ad96246b8ecc) by Senator Elizabeth Warren (D-MA), the attackers

also grabbed

taxpayer identification numbers,

phone numbers,

email addresses, and

credit card expiry dates belonging to some Equifax customers.

Like social security numbers, taxpayer ID numbers are useful for fraudsters seeking to steal people's identities or their tax rebates, and

the expiry dates are similarly useful for online crooks when linked with credit card numbers and other personal information.

https://www.theregister.co.uk/2018/02/13/equifax_security_breach_bad/

==========

Hack Will Lead to Little, if Any, Punishment for Equifax

https://www.nytimes.com/2017/09/20/business/equifax-hack-penalties.html