The Equifax hack isn't the biggest security breach of all time, but it could be one of the worst in history for Americans

pulse

September 10, 2017 8:48 AM

The hacked information is exactly the kind that's used to confirm your identity.

The latest Equifax hack might not be the biggest hack in recent memory, but it could be one of the worst in substance.

That's because the Equifax hack contains arguably the most sensitive data about individuals – about 143 million of them – including social security numbers, full names, addresses, birth dates, and even drivers licenses and credit card numbers for some.

This information is the kind that several businesses like financial companies, insurance companies, and other security-sensitive businesses use to identify a customer accessing their accounts from online, by phone, or even in person. The breach also lends itself perfectly to future identity theft.

Hackers have had access to this information between May and July, and it's taken five weeks for the company to disclose the breach. The Atlanta-based credit reporting agencyset up a site

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