How Hacks Happen

Equifax Breach


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When consumer reporting agency Equifax was breached in 2017, the records of over 140 million people (more than half the adults in the USA!) were stolen. Years later, we take a closer look at the mistakes Equifax's security team made, how hackers leveraged a compromised Equifax web page to gain access to logins, passwords, and dozens of additional databases, and how they got the stolen data out of Equifax's network through a flawed router setup. We wrap up what you can do to keep yourself safe from identity theft as a result of this and other breaches. 

Resources for this episode:

  • Website where you can check if your identity was compromised in the Equifax breach
  • Business Insider: Literally everyone should be thinking about suing Equifax. September 2017.
  • U.S. House of Representatives Committee on Oversight and Government Reform: The Equifax Data Breach. December 2018.
  • CHINESE PLA MEMBERS, 54th RESEARCH INSTITUTE - The fellas charged with the Equifax breach, now on the FBI's wanted list.
  • United States Government Accountability Office Report to Congressional Requesters

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How Hacks HappenBy Many Worlds Productions

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