Equifax Data Breach

Equifax, one of the largest credit score providers in America, announced on September 7, 2017 that it was the victim of a large-scale hack that exposed the personal information, including Social Security numbers, of an estimated 143 million Americans. In addition to Social Security numbers, birth dates, addresses, driver’s license numbers, 182,000 credit dispute documents and approximately 209,000 credit card numbers were also exposed during the data breach. This data breach could affect up to 44 percent of the American population.

Equifax has now joined the list of cybersecurity victims and is now challenged by damage to its brand and loss of customer confidence. Don’t wait until you are a victim. CWM can help you establish the right legal policies to manage your business risks and mitigate liability. We team with highly skilled cybersecurity experts that can enhance your cyber infrastructure and respond to a data related incident.

Cybersecurity is not just an IT issue; it’s a business resiliency issue with legal implications. Your employees and customers count on you to be secure. Call 757.802.9043 or email (cybersecurity@cwm-law.com) us today to let us help you prepare for the cyber risks of the future.

Here are a few tips (not legal advice) if you may have been affected.

1. Read the notice carefully to learn what information may have been exposed and how.
2. Review the breached account for unauthorized activity or evidence of compromise.
3. Know exactly what’s at risk (SSN, credit card information, dates of birth or other).
4. Utilize free credit-monitoring, fraud alerts or security freezes on credit reports.
5. Be vigilant for unauthorized charges on other accounts.
6. Check your credit report and watch for other fraud or unusual activity (medical,Social Security, insurance, IRS).
   Change all user access credentials.