You may have heard about the “Equifax cybersecurity incident potentially impacting approximately 143 million U.S. consumers. Criminals exploited a U.S. website application vulnerability to gain access to certain files. Based on the company’s investigation, the unauthorized access occurred from mid-May through July 2017.” One financial analyst on NBC News called it the “hurricane Irma” of security malfeasance.
The company is offering free identity theft protection and credit file monitoring to all U.S. consumers. GO TO https://www.equifaxsecurity2017.com/enroll/ ASAP. I went to the site Friday evening, because my info was probably breached, along with 143 million other Americans. BUT though I entered the preliminary info, I can’t formally enroll until September 12.
Moreover, “Please be sure to mark your calendar as you will not receive additional reminders. On or after your enrollment date, please return to [the site] click the link to continue through the enrollment process. And when my wife’s info was entered not five minutes later, her first day that she could enroll is September 14!
This is interesting:
“2). NO WAIVER OF RIGHTS FOR THIS CYBER SECURITY INCIDENT
In response to consumer inquiries, we have made it clear that the arbitration clause and class action waiver included in the Equifax and TrustedID Premier terms of use does not apply to this cybersecurity incident.”
In English, does this mean they still CAN be sued? That’s my interpretation.
I got the “your information was not likely breached,” which I presume is CYA speak for “we don’t think yours has been stolen, but of course it still could have and we don’t want you to be angry with us if it was”
I dunno. I grow so weary of the added labor (and yes, it’s not MUCH labor, but it’s still labor) consumers have to go through – getting locks placed on credit reports, checking up on these things, etc., because large corporations can’t be arsed to use proper security.
It’s like when there was a spate of “skimmers” on gas pumps here – they were telling people, “Just carry cash and walk into the gas station and pay cash” but that adds a bit more time (especially if it turns out you needed less gas than you anticipated and have to go back and get change) and effort and also, late at night? I don’t want to be carrying cash and walking from my car to the gas station office in some parts of town….
Instead, they need to come up with better ways of defeating the skimmers, or making it less attractive as a form of crime.