EQUIFAX Discloses Massive Data Breach

Today, September 8, 2017, Equifax, one of the largest credit reporting agencies in the United States, has disclosed that they suffered a massive data breach because their network was compromised by unknown hackers. According to the Equifax’s press release, attackers gained access to personal data of almost 143 million Americans. Social security numbers, birth dates and addresses of nearly half the population lost in this breach of the US could be misused by hackers for years to come. Credit card numbers of US-customers and non-US customers were also stolen. After Equifax announced the cyberattack, their shares dropped 13%.

Official information posted on the Equifax website states: “Based on the company’s investigation, the unauthorized access occurred from mid-May through July 2017.” The breach was disclosed only yesterday, meaning it took six weeks to detect the cyberattack.

Network security solutions like GREYCORTEX that identify anomalous behavior within your network are especially important in this situation. These solutions mean your IT team can identify malware by its anomalous movement within the network, and identify it as it replicates. GREYCORTEX Mendel identifies such anomalous behavior, offers deep network visibility, and differentiates between human and machine behavior, meaning you can find infected devices within your network and secure your company’s data and reputation.