Equifax Revealing 2.4 Million More Affected by Breach Draws Hill Scrutiny

Data from an additional 2.4 million consumers was compromised during Equifax’s 2017 breach, it said Thursday (see 1710020021). About 145 million Americans were reportedly affected by the breach, which involved private data like names, addresses, birth dates, driver's license information and Social Security numbers. Interim CEO Paulino do Rego Barros said the disclosure wasn't about “newly discovered stolen data” but resulted from sifting through previous information, analyzing databases not taken by attackers and “making connections that enabled us to identify additional individuals." House Commerce Committee Chairman Greg Walden, R-Ore., and House Digital Commerce Subcommittee Chairman Bob Latta, R-Ohio, called the announcement “deeply concerning,” saying it raises further questions about the company’s “total failure.” They requested a briefing with Mandiant that's investigating the breach. Senate Commerce Committee Chairman John Thune, R-S.D., criticized Equifax for taking a “piecemeal” approach in addressing consumer issues. “The company knew the incident affected nearly the entire population of credit-active consumers in the United States and had every reason to believe this number could grow,” he said.