Beware of Equifax Data Breach and Get a Credit Freeze

9 Sept 2017 · 2 min

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In a Boston 25 News segment, reporters detail the massive Equifax data breach that exposed the personal information of over 143 million Americans, including Social Security numbers, credit card numbers, and driver’s license data. Cybersecurity expert Robert Siciliano of Hotspot Shield explains that the breach represents the largest known compromise of Social Security numbers, urging viewers to quickly verify whether they are affected by visiting EquifaxSecurity2017.com. He stresses that the breach erodes trust in credit bureaus and recommends immediate protective actions, chiefly freezing one’s credit to prevent new‑account fraud, which can devastate credit scores and take years to remediate. The segment underscores the urgency of checking for exposure and taking preventive steps to safeguard identity.

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Tens of millions of people could be at risk of identity theft after a massive data breach.
The attack exposed sensitive personal information like Social Security numbers and credit card numbers. Boston 25 News reporter Lita Pappas explains how you can protect yourself.
Well, this isn't the largest breach ever, but this is, from what I can see, the largest breach of Social Security numbers ever, and it's kind of a big deal.
A big deal now that more than 143 million Americans have their personal information hacked after a cybersecurity breach at Equifax.
Just hopefully I'm not one of those 143 million people.
Robert Siciliano is a cybersecurity expert with Hotspot Shield, and he says anything from Social Security numbers to credit cards and driver's license numbers are now in the hands of criminals. And there's a quick way you can find out if you're a victim.
Currently, right now, if you go to EquifaxSecurity2017.com and enter your name and the last 6 digits of your Social Security number, you can find out if in fact you have been victimized.
He says the biggest issue is people pay credit bureaus like Equifax to protect their information, and now there's little trust in the system.
It's a bit of a cat-and-mouse game, and like anything with security, it tends to be more of an inconvenience than a surefire safeguard.
So Siciliano says you need to take action to protect yourself. He recommends freezing your credit line to prevent the worst kind of identity theft.
New account fraud is when somebody gets your Social Security number and they open up a new account under your name. When this happens, it ruins your good name and your good credit.
And he says it can take years to get your credit back up after a theft like this one, so you should find out if you're at risk as soon as possible.
So yeah, I will be checking within the next couple of days.
Siciliano says even if your information wasn't hacked by this breach, you should still go ahead and freeze your credit line and find some ID protection since he says more hacks like this are likely in the future. In Boston, I'm Lisa Pappas, Boston 25 News.