How To Find Out If You Were Hacked On Equifax

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

Editor'south note, Sept. 11, 2017: Nosotros recommend that anyone with a credit history presume they were affected by the hack, equally Equifax'southward hack-checker tool proved unreliable in our tests. In add-on, Equifax's credit-freeze website was also shown to be hackable, ZDNET reported.

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

What happened?

Co-ordinate to Equifax, which released a statement on Sept. 7, the company's 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 visitor thinks the hack happened some fourth dimension between mid-May and the finish of July, just has only now appear the breach. That's all we know.

When did Equifax observe out about the hack?

Equifax learned most the hack on July 29, according to an FAQ. However, Sept. vii was the first solar day the company publicly announced the hack.

What data was accessed?

By exploiting Equifax website's vulnerability, the hackers were able to larn names, Social Security numbers, birth dates, home addresses and some drivers' license information.

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

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

Now playing: Watch this: Equifax breach: Were yous i of the 143 million affected?

1:29

How tin I find out if I was affected?

Equifax has set up its ain programme to help people discover out if they were 1 of the millions affected in the hack. It includes a tool that lets you check to see if you were affected and a program, Trusted ID, that may assistance prevent identity theft. But, be aware:the checker that lets y'all know if you were hacked might exist cleaved and -- per the higher up notation -- enrolling in the programmight prevent you from participating in a class-action lawsuit confronting the visitor. Finally, on Sept. 11, ZDNET reported that Equifax's credit fraud warning sign-up site is vulnerable to hacking and has been left un-patched.

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

If you're willing to requite Equifax a run a risk, you can sign up for Trusted ID here. The program isn't exactly straightforward, however -- it requires a multi-stride process that takes place over the course of at least one calendar week. Here's an overview of the process:

Step ane: Head to this enrollment page and click "Begin enrollment." Enter your terminal name and concluding six digits of your social security number and head to the side by side page. Several reporters at CNET have attempted this process and received two dissimilar results:

Equifax will let you know you may have been impacted.
Equifax will permit you know you lot weren't impacted.

Step 2: If y'all received an enrollment date, write it down. Seriously, on paper (or, you know, Google Calendar). Equifax doesn't ask for your email address, so information technology won't remind you of your enrollment date.

Footstep 3: On (or afterward) your enrollment date, head to this folio to continue the enrollment process. You have to complete the enrollment process past November. 21.

What exactly am I enrolling in?

According to Equifax, those affected are enrolling in a free, i-yr subscription TrustedID, which is an identity protection company owned and operated by Equifax. According to an Equifax representative we spoke to on the telephone, the enrollment procedure won't enquire for a credit card number, so the service won't automatically renew afterwards one year. CNET hasn't been able to independently verify this, however.

Once yous're enrolled, TrustedID will:

Provide copies of your Equifax credit report
Let you "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

One time we have some hands-on time with Trusted ID, we'll update this story with more most how to use information technology.

How can I protect my identity?

You don't have to wait to enroll in Equifax's program to commencement protecting yourself correct at present. We put together a guide on what you tin practise, including this:

Get a costless credit study. Federal law guarantees your one free credit report per year from the three major bureaus (yes, including Equifax). Head to this website to get your most-contempo credit report and evaluate it to notice any malicious activity.
Freeze your credit. Credit freezes make it harder for criminals to open credit cards in your name. You'll demand to call each of the credit bureaus -- Equifax (ane-800-349-9960), Experian (ane‑888‑397‑3742) and TransUnion (i-888-909-8872) -- to freeze your credit.
Set up a fraud alert. Anyone can sign upward for a complimentary, 90-solar day fraud alarm. Here's how. (Don't apply Equifax'southward site for this, as it may be vulnerable to hacking.)

Should I be worried about identity theft?

The purpose of the complimentary TrustedID enrollment program is to assistance protect yous from identity theft. What nosotros don't know, even so, is what happened during the months that Equifax didn't know about the breach (or was preparing to tell the public). Because this gap represents several months that personal information was exposed, we suggest taking actress care 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 depository financial institution accounts
Y'all cease getting mail service or bills (implying your accost has been changed)
Debt collectors phone call well-nigh debts you lot don't recognize
Your medical records don't friction match with your history

What do I do if my identity was stolen?

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

Editor's note: This story continues to exist updated.