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Equifax Hack- Are You In Danger?

By Kimberly Shane

Equifax Hack- Are you in danger?

equifax hacked blog.jpgI’m guessing that many of you have heard about the Equifax hack. According to abc news, it left 143 million Americans’ identities exposed. Sadly, this is not something that we can see coming, there is no evidence that your identity has been stolen and is being used by someone until it is too late.  The information stolen by these hackers includes; names, social security numbers, birth dates, addresses and even driver’s license numbers. “These credit bureaus keep so much data about us that it affects almost everything we do”, says Gartner security analyst Avivah Litan. She continues to say, “On a scale of one to 10, this is a 10 in terms of potential identity theft”.

While this isn’t the biggest data breach in history, Yahoo’s hack affected more than 1 billion people but Yahoo didn’t have social security numbers or drivers’ license information. Identity theft can wreak havoc on your life so it is in your best interest to be aware of your credit score and fluctuations in it. Equifax is offering an option to check and see if you could have been affected: 

Equifax has a site: Equifax site, where you can check to see if your personal information is at risk. Consumers can also call 866-447-7559 for more information. They are also offering a free year of credit monitoring to assist you in protecting your identity. If you decide to sign up for the Equifax credit monitoring offer, Be sure to read the terms before agreeing, in this case and in other programs, as well! 

For anyone who has purchased a home in the past, you know how important it is to keep a clean credit history. It can really hinder you from being able to move forward in your home purchase. So please don’t disregard the warnings, take steps to protect yourself and your future by keeping an eye on your credit report and ensuring the security of your identity.  

Source: http://abcnews.go.com/Technology/wireStory/equifax-data-143-million-americans-exposed-hack-49688279

 

Tags: Finances, Credit