145.5 million personal data stolen. US adult population: 249 million. Equifax CEO apologized and quit. His fault? Hardly so

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12 September, 2017
Equifax CEO Richard Smith Apologizes for the 'Most Humbling Moment in Our 118-Year History'
Equifax CEO Richard Smith has apologized for the massive cybersecurity breach at the company, which he described as "the most humbling moment in our 118-year history" and resolved to "make changes" to ensure nothing similar happens again.

28 September, 2017
Equifax Promises A New Lifetime Service, As New Leader Offers An Apology
Equifax is promising consumers new control over access to their personal credit data — for free, and for life — as interim CEO Paulino do Rego Barros Jr. apologized to people affected by the company's recent data breach. He said the company had failed to live up to expectations.

"On behalf of Equifax, I want to express my sincere and total apology," Barros wrote in an op-ed for The Wall Street Journal.

In the piece published behind the Journal's online paywall, but that doesn't seem to have been reproduced on Equifax's own site, Barros also unveiled plans for a new credit-monitoring tool:

"By Jan. 31, Equifax will offer a new service allowing all consumers the option of controlling access to their personal credit data. The service we are developing will let consumers easily lock and unlock access to their Equifax credit files. You will be able to do this at will. It will be reliable, safe and simple. Most significantly, the service will be offered free, for life."

The new service, Barros said, is aimed at disrupting the cybercrime business and easing consumers' worries - as well as helping the company recover from what has been a disastrous incident.

Barros was named interim CEO this week, after Equifax's former chairman and CEO Richard F. Smith retired. The consumer credit reporting company has been criticized for a series of missteps that compounded consumers' frustration after the company was hacked and some 143 million consumers' financial and personal data was exposed.

*update* Oct. 2, 2017
USATODAY
Equifax breach hit 2.5 million more Americans than first believed A just completed review of the Equifax breach released by the company on Monday found that an additional 2.5 million U.S. consumers were potentially impacted, bringing the total to 145.5 million.
Equifax hired the forensic security firm Mandiant to investigate the breach. The company said the additional potentially impacted consumers were not victims of a new attack but rather victims who the company had not counted before.
News of the 2.5 million new potential victims comes on the eve of congressional testimony to be given by Equifax’ former CEO Richard Smith, who will address a House subcommittee on Tuesday.

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Photo courtesy Costa Rica News