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Equifax says cyber attack may have hit 143 million customers

Criminals took advantage of a U.S. website application vulnerability to gain access to files during a period stretching from mid-May through July of this year.

By Tom Giles | Updated on September 07, 2017
This July 21, 2012, photo shows Equifax Inc., offices in Atlanta. Credit monitoring company Equifax says a breach exposed social security numbers and other data from about 143 million Americans. The Atlanta-based company said Thursday, Sept. 7, 2017, that "criminals" exploited a U.S. website application to access files between mid-May and July of this year. (AP Photo/Mike Stewart)

Equifax Inc. said its systems were struck by a cybersecurity incident that may have affected about 143 million U.S. consumers, shedding light on what could be ranked as one of the largest breaches in history.

Intruders accessed names, Social Security numbers, birth dates, addresses and driver’s license numbers, Equifax said in a statement. Credit card numbers for about 209,000 consumers were also accessed, the company said. Equifax shares dropped more than 5% in after-hours trading.

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