Hackers Access Personal Information of 143Mln US Consumers

Hackers reportedly exploited a website application weakness to access the personal information of 143 million US customers.

WASHINGTON (Sputnik) — Consumer credit reporting agency Equifax said that hackers exploited a website application weakness to access the personal information of 143 million US customers.

"Equifax Inc. (NYSE:EFX) today announced a cybersecurity incident potentially impacting approximately 143 million US consumers," the company said in a statement on Thursday. "Criminals exploited a US website application vulnerability to gain access to certain files…the information accessed primarily includes names, Social Security numbers, birth dates, addresses, and in some instances, driver’s license numbers."

The breach occurred earlier this year from mid-May through July, the release said. As of Thursday, the company said it has found no evidence of unauthorized activity on Equifax’s core consumer or commercial credit reporting databases.

Hackers also accessed credit card numbers of an estimated 209,000 US consumers, the release said.

The company engaged with a cybersecurity firm immediately after discovering the breach on July 29, the release said. The firm consulted with the company to assess the incident and strengthen its databases, according to the release.