What should have been a routine software fix was instead missed by the entirety of Equifax’s 225-person computer security division, USA TODAY reports, allowing hackers to gain access to the private information of 145.5 million U.S. residents. Their credit could be destroyed for years to come, the publication notes.
The circumstances that led to the breach came to light in the first of four Congressional hearings, in which former Equifax CEO Richard Smith was questioned by the House Energy and Commerce Committee over how the company handled the breach. Rep. Bob Latta, a Republican from Ohio, reportedly called the hack not only “unprecedented,” but “also unique because of the sensitivity of the information stolen.”
“The public deserves to know what happened,” Latta said.
Rep. Greg Walden, a Democrat from Oregon, was more direct.
“How does this happen when so much is at stake? I don’t think we can pass a law that can fix stupid.”
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