EQUIFAX hacked

Most of us are not "computer people" so post your technical questions and comments here. If you have computer or Internet expertise, share it here.

Moderators: carlson1, Keith B

User avatar

Topic author
bmwrdr
Senior Member
Posts in topic: 12
Posts: 1083
Joined: Tue Sep 03, 2013 4:05 pm

EQUIFAX hacked

#1

Post by bmwrdr »

EQUIFAX: Hackers may have accessed the personal details of 143 million US customers

http://www.businessinsider.com/equifax- ... ers-2017-9

It was predictable and just a question of when and not if they get hacked. I would not be surprised if "livelock" will be targeted at one point in time. So far there were several so called security companies targeted by hackers and it seems like there is no end!
I scarified political correctness to preserve honesty ︻╦̵̵͇̿̿̿̿══╤─

crazy2medic
Senior Member
Posts in topic: 1
Posts: 2453
Joined: Sun Nov 08, 2015 9:59 am

Re: EQUIFAX hacked

#2

Post by crazy2medic »

So anybody want to guess what Equifax will be sued for? Say 150 million?
They have just about Everybodies Financial Information!
Government, like fire is a dangerous servant and a fearful master
If you ain't paranoid you ain't paying attention
Don't fire unless fired upon, but if they mean to have a war let it begin here- John Parker
User avatar

Topic author
bmwrdr
Senior Member
Posts in topic: 12
Posts: 1083
Joined: Tue Sep 03, 2013 4:05 pm

Re: EQUIFAX hacked

#3

Post by bmwrdr »

crazy2medic wrote:So anybody want to guess what Equifax will be sued for? Say 150 million?
They have just about Everybodies Financial Information!
Yes, it surely is a big target for hackers. The annoying part is theywere hacked sometimes mid of May and the intrusion was detected end of July (see article).
Equifax offers now a 1 year complementary safeguard tool which may not be the right solution for the end customer. In other words, they actually lure theur consumers in a subscription and I am pretty sure it is not so easy to get out of that once subscribed.
A better idea for the end consumer would be the "right to be forgotten." In other words, I personally do not want my information stored on their insecure system. I lso keep my footprint as small as possible and if/ when I need a credit card for traveling I usually cancel it after it is paid and I have no use for it anymore.
Another issue with the credit research companies is the fact they store everything, up to date or not, they can't keep it current.
If our lawmakers would just have a bit of common sense they would outlaw the storage of personal information of a customer without bad credit! Just my $.02 but that would disallow duplicated efforts and increase efficiency.

:bigear:
I scarified political correctness to preserve honesty ︻╦̵̵͇̿̿̿̿══╤─
User avatar

bblhd672
Senior Member
Posts in topic: 6
Posts: 4811
Joined: Mon Jun 06, 2016 10:43 am
Location: TX

Re: EQUIFAX hacked

#4

Post by bblhd672 »

https://krebsonsecurity.com/2017/09/bre ... more-40626

This is the THIRD breach allowed by Equifax or one of its subsidiaries.

If you are concerned about your data security you should be following Brian Krebs website.
The left lies about everything. Truth is a liberal value, and truth is a conservative value, but it has never been a left-wing value. People on the left say whatever advances their immediate agenda. Power is their moral lodestar; therefore, truth is always subservient to it. - Dennis Prager
User avatar

Topic author
bmwrdr
Senior Member
Posts in topic: 12
Posts: 1083
Joined: Tue Sep 03, 2013 4:05 pm

Re: EQUIFAX hacked

#5

Post by bmwrdr »

bblhd672 wrote:https://krebsonsecurity.com/2017/09/bre ... more-40626

This is the THIRD breach allowed by Equifax or one of its subsidiaries.

If you are concerned about your data security you should be following Brian Krebs website.
Thanks for sharing. Fact is that >80% of cyber security breaches are initiated from within a network, some on purpose, some unknowingly and some by policy design and/ or negligence.

:tiphat:
I scarified political correctness to preserve honesty ︻╦̵̵͇̿̿̿̿══╤─
User avatar

Topic author
bmwrdr
Senior Member
Posts in topic: 12
Posts: 1083
Joined: Tue Sep 03, 2013 4:05 pm

Re: EQUIFAX hacked

#6

Post by bmwrdr »

It seems like some managers with interest in Equifax already bailed out but not for a technical reason.

https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles ... cyber-hack
I scarified political correctness to preserve honesty ︻╦̵̵͇̿̿̿̿══╤─
User avatar

Topic author
bmwrdr
Senior Member
Posts in topic: 12
Posts: 1083
Joined: Tue Sep 03, 2013 4:05 pm

Re: EQUIFAX hacked

#7

Post by bmwrdr »

The side effects of the Equifax seem to show up really fast and my initial thoughts not to listen to their advice is the better choice.

By signing up on Equifax’s help site, you risk giving up your legal rights.

https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/the ... 81b108b967
I scarified political correctness to preserve honesty ︻╦̵̵͇̿̿̿̿══╤─
User avatar

bblhd672
Senior Member
Posts in topic: 6
Posts: 4811
Joined: Mon Jun 06, 2016 10:43 am
Location: TX

Re: EQUIFAX hacked

#8

Post by bblhd672 »

bmwrdr wrote:It seems like some managers with interest in Equifax already bailed out but not for a technical reason.

https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles ... cyber-hack
The three “sold a small percentage of their Equifax shares,” Ines Gutzmer, a spokeswoman for the Atlanta-based company, said in an emailed statement. They “had no knowledge that an intrusion had occurred at the time.”
I call bovine excrement. It appears that there needs to be deep investigations of Equifax. People should be losing their jobs and possibly criminal indictments.
The left lies about everything. Truth is a liberal value, and truth is a conservative value, but it has never been a left-wing value. People on the left say whatever advances their immediate agenda. Power is their moral lodestar; therefore, truth is always subservient to it. - Dennis Prager
User avatar

Topic author
bmwrdr
Senior Member
Posts in topic: 12
Posts: 1083
Joined: Tue Sep 03, 2013 4:05 pm

Re: EQUIFAX hacked

#9

Post by bmwrdr »

Today I came across an interesting article to prevent criminals misusing personal information leaked by the credit bureaus.

https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/the ... 749ee339a0

I'll pusrue the steps outlined via phone and share my experience later on.
I scarified political correctness to preserve honesty ︻╦̵̵͇̿̿̿̿══╤─
User avatar

bblhd672
Senior Member
Posts in topic: 6
Posts: 4811
Joined: Mon Jun 06, 2016 10:43 am
Location: TX

Re: EQUIFAX hacked

#10

Post by bblhd672 »

The left lies about everything. Truth is a liberal value, and truth is a conservative value, but it has never been a left-wing value. People on the left say whatever advances their immediate agenda. Power is their moral lodestar; therefore, truth is always subservient to it. - Dennis Prager

jminn1
Member
Posts in topic: 1
Posts: 110
Joined: Tue Jan 07, 2014 9:32 pm
Location: Flower Mound, Texas

Re: EQUIFAX hacked

#11

Post by jminn1 »

I heard reported on OANN today the hack was via a phone app, not their web site directly.

Where I work, we are required to perform formal full penetration testing on all web apps and phone apps we create prior to release as standard policy, using current state-of-the-art software and process. It's a pain and expensive, but it's also quite necessary in today's hostile electronic universe. I can tell you there are a lot of creative people out there looking for new ways to penetrate networks, systems, phone apps, web sites and they even stoop to social engineering on people. I'm not defending what happened at all. Just pointing out it is a always-evolving electronic world.

For everyone - lock your credit. My wife and I locked ours 3 years ago after an exposure and never looked back. You can still use your credit cards as normal, you just cannot open new lines of credit without going through an extra set of steps and perhaps some small fees depending on your location and age.

There are directions on Clark Howard's web site under "Guides" then "Protect Your Rights and Identity".

IANAL
Equality, rightly understood as our founding fathers understood it, leads to liberty and to the emancipation of creative differences; wrongly understood, as it has been so tragically in our time, it leads first to conformity and then to despotism. Barry Goldwater
User avatar

Topic author
bmwrdr
Senior Member
Posts in topic: 12
Posts: 1083
Joined: Tue Sep 03, 2013 4:05 pm

Re: EQUIFAX hacked

#12

Post by bmwrdr »

There were 23 class action lawsuits filed against Equifax last weekend. I'd think they need to take care for all costs they created for everybody because there are fees and efforts involved in locking a credit line. The lawsuits by itself ma take a long time before a solution may be applied.

https://www.usatoday.com/story/money/20 ... 653909001/

I remember when I received the notification from the OPM several years ago, they offered a free security packet. I refused to take it because it would be just another place where all my personal information is stored. As we all know, it is not a question if they get hacked, it is a question of when.
I scarified political correctness to preserve honesty ︻╦̵̵͇̿̿̿̿══╤─
User avatar

bblhd672
Senior Member
Posts in topic: 6
Posts: 4811
Joined: Mon Jun 06, 2016 10:43 am
Location: TX

Re: EQUIFAX hacked

#13

Post by bblhd672 »

Credit "locks/freezes" should be at no cost to consumers. It's ridiculous that you have to pay to protect your identity and financial information.
The left lies about everything. Truth is a liberal value, and truth is a conservative value, but it has never been a left-wing value. People on the left say whatever advances their immediate agenda. Power is their moral lodestar; therefore, truth is always subservient to it. - Dennis Prager
User avatar

Topic author
bmwrdr
Senior Member
Posts in topic: 12
Posts: 1083
Joined: Tue Sep 03, 2013 4:05 pm

Re: EQUIFAX hacked

#14

Post by bmwrdr »

bblhd672 wrote:Credit "locks/freezes" should be at no cost to consumers. It's ridiculous that you have to pay to protect your identity and financial information.
:iagree: but there is a fee which doesn't make sense because if you lock it with Equifax & co the hacker(s) still have it unlocked and in plain view.
So whatever they are doing it is just creating more overhead and confusion.
Everyone is upon himself and I'm still convinced to keep eyes and ears open is the best and only protection.
When it comes to those white collar criminals neglecting their duties I would like to see long lasting jail terms and deportations.

:tiphat:
I scarified political correctness to preserve honesty ︻╦̵̵͇̿̿̿̿══╤─
User avatar

bblhd672
Senior Member
Posts in topic: 6
Posts: 4811
Joined: Mon Jun 06, 2016 10:43 am
Location: TX

Re: EQUIFAX hacked

#15

Post by bblhd672 »

It just gets better for Equifax. The company's officer in charge of data security was a music major and had no experience in data security. There is an effort underway to scrub her from the internet.

https://www-marketwatch-com.cdn.ampproj ... FD35AE15F2
The left lies about everything. Truth is a liberal value, and truth is a conservative value, but it has never been a left-wing value. People on the left say whatever advances their immediate agenda. Power is their moral lodestar; therefore, truth is always subservient to it. - Dennis Prager
Post Reply

Return to “Technical Tips, Questions & Discussions (Computers & Internet)”