How To Find Out If You Were Affected By Equifax

pasted-image-at-2017-09-07-03-25-pm — CNET

Editor's annotation, Sept. xi, 2017: We recommend that anyone with a credit history assume they were affected by the hack, equally Equifax'southward hack-checker tool proved unreliable in our tests. In add-on, Equifax'southward credit-freeze website was also shown to be hackable, ZDNET reported.

Credit rating visitor Equifaxrevealed Sept. 7 that its databases had been hacked. Here's what we know and what you can do to protect yourself.

What happened?

According to Equifax, which released a statement on Sept. 7, the company'south database was breached through a vulnerability on its website, exposing the personal information of an estimated 143 million people, including some in the UK and Canada.

The company thinks the hack happened some time between mid-May and the end of July, but has merely now announced the breach. That's all nosotros know.

When did Equifax find out most the hack?

Equifax learned about the hack on July 29, according to an FAQ. However, Sept. 7 was the get-go mean solar day the visitor publicly announced the hack.

What information was accessed?

Past exploiting Equifax website'south vulnerability, the hackers were able to acquire names, Social Security numbers, birth dates, home addresses and some drivers' license data.

In addition, credit card numbers for an estimated 209,000 consumers and sure dispute documents, which included personal identifying information, for approximately 182,000 consumers were accessed, according to the company.

If you were one of the fewer people whose credit carte numbers or dispute documents were exposed, you'll receive postal mail letting you know you were affected. Otherwise, yous'll need to use Equifax'due south website to find out if your information was exposed.

At present playing: Watch this: Equifax breach: Were you lot one of the 143 million affected?

1:29

How tin I find out if I was afflicted?

Equifax has set its own program to help people find out if they were one of the millions affected in the hack. Information technology includes a tool that lets you cheque to see if yous were affected and a program, Trusted ID, that may help prevent identity theft. Just, be aware:the checker that lets you know if you were hacked might exist broken and -- per the in a higher place notation -- enrolling in the programmight prevent you from participating in a class-action lawsuit against the company. Finally, on Sept. 11, ZDNET reported that Equifax'south credit fraud warning sign-upwards site is vulnerable to hacking and has been left un-patched.

Because of these circumstances, we recommend that, for at present, anyone with a credit history should assume they were affected by the hack. We also recommend supplementing Trusted ID with your own due diligence.

If yous're willing to give Equifax a chance, y'all can sign up for Trusted ID here. The program isn't exactly straightforward, however -- it requires a multi-step process that takes place over the course of at to the lowest degree one calendar week. Here's an overview of the process:

Step i: Caput to this enrollment folio and click "Brainstorm enrollment." Enter your last name and last 6 digits of your social security number and head to the next page. Several reporters at CNET have attempted this procedure and received two different results:

Equifax will let yous know you may accept been impacted.
Equifax will let you know you weren't impacted.

Step two: If you received an enrollment date, write it downwards. Seriously, on paper (or, you know, Google Calendar). Equifax doesn't ask for your email address, and so it won't remind yous of your enrollment date.

Step iii: On (or after) your enrollment date, head to this folio to continue the enrollment process. You have to consummate the enrollment process by November. 21.

What exactly am I enrolling in?

Co-ordinate to Equifax, those affected are enrolling in a free, 1-twelvemonth subscription TrustedID, which is an identity protection company owned and operated by Equifax. According to an Equifax representative we spoke to on the phone, the enrollment process won't enquire for a credit card number, and so the service won't automatically renew after 1 twelvemonth. CNET hasn't been able to independently verify this, however.

Once you're enrolled, TrustedID will:

Provide copies of your Equifax credit report
Let yous "lock" your Equifax credit report
Provide three-agency credit monitoring of your Equifax, Experian and TransUnion credit reports
Provide internet scanning for your Social Security number
Include identity theft insurance

In one case nosotros have some hands-on time with Trusted ID, nosotros'll update this story with more about how to apply it.

How tin can I protect my identity?

You don't have to wait to enroll in Equifax'south program to beginning protecting yourself correct now. We put together a guide on what y'all can practice, including this:

Get a gratis credit report. Federal police force guarantees your ane free credit report per year from the three major bureaus (yeah, including Equifax). Head to this website to get your near-recent credit study and evaluate it to find whatsoever malicious activity.
Freeze your credit. Credit freezes brand it harder for criminals to open credit cards in your name. You'll need to phone call each of the credit bureaus -- Equifax (1-800-349-9960), Experian (i‑888‑397‑3742) and TransUnion (1-888-909-8872) -- to freeze your credit.
Set a fraud warning. Anyone tin sign up for a free, 90-twenty-four hour period fraud alert. Hither's how. (Don't employ Equifax'southward site for this, every bit it may exist vulnerable to hacking.)

Should I be worried nigh identity theft?

The purpose of the free TrustedID enrollment program is to help protect you lot from identity theft. What we don't know, however, is what happened during the months that Equifax didn't know about the alienation (or was preparing to tell the public). Because this gap represents several months that personal data was exposed, nosotros advise taking extra intendance in protecting your identity and watching for signs of identity theft.

The FTC outlines some of the major signs of identity theft, including:

Unexplained withdrawals from your banking company accounts
You stop getting mail or bills (implying your address has been changed)
Debt collectors call most debts you don't recognize
Your medical records don't match with your history

What exercise I do if my identity was stolen?

Addressing identity theft is a long and frustrating procedure that has no simple solution. To help those affected by identity theft, the FTC provides this step-by-step recovery program.

Editor'due south notation: This story continues to be updated.