• Home
  • Latest
  • Fortune 500
  • Finance
  • Tech
  • Leadership
  • Lifestyle
  • Rankings
  • Multimedia
TechEquifax

Equifax Says There Are Even More Hacking Victims in This Country

By
Verne Kopytoff
Verne Kopytoff
Senior Editor, Tech
Down Arrow Button Icon
By
Verne Kopytoff
Verne Kopytoff
Senior Editor, Tech
Down Arrow Button Icon
October 10, 2017, 3:43 PM ET

Credit reporting agency Equifax said on Tuesday that 15.2 million client records in Britain were compromised in the massive cyber attack it disclosed last month, including sensitive information affecting nearly 700,000 consumers.

The U.S.-based company said 14.5 million of the records breached, which dated from 2011 to 2016, did not contain information that put British consumers at risk.

Overall, around 145.5 million people, mostly in the United States, had their information, including Social Security numbers, birth dates, addresses and, in some cases, driver’s license numbers, stolen.

Equifax said it would notify the 693,665 affected U.K. consumers by post and offer them several its own and third party risk mitigation products for free to help minimize the risk of possible criminal activity.

Equifax has faced seething criticism from consumers, regulators and lawmakers over its handling of the breach, which happened between mid-May and late July and was disclosed on Sept. 7. Since then, the company has parted ways with its CEO, chief information officer, and chief security officer.

“Once again, I would like to extend my most sincere apologies to anyone who has been concerned about or impacted by this criminal act,” Patricio Remon, Equifax’s president for Europe. “Let me take this opportunity to emphasize that protecting the data of our consumers and clients is always our top priority.”

The company was alerted in March that a software security vulnerability existed in one or more of its systems, but it failed to fix the problem because of “both human error and technology failures,” former CEO Richard Smith told a U.S. congressional committee.

As a credit reporting agency, Equifax keeps vast amounts of consumer data for banks and other creditors to use to determine the chances of their customers’ defaulting.

The breach has prompted investigations by multiple federal and state agencies, including a criminal probe by the U.S. Department of Justice.

Equifax said earlier this month that it had determined some 8,000 Canadian consumers were also impacted by the breach, much less than the 100,000 it had previously warned were at risk.

Get Data Sheet, Fortune’s technology newsletter.

It said the initial estimate “was preliminary and did not materialize” and that the company planned to mail notifications to those affected with information about free credit monitoring and identity theft protection services.

About the Author
By Verne KopytoffSenior Editor, Tech
LinkedIn iconTwitter icon

Verne Kopytoff is a senior editor at Fortune overseeing trends in the tech industry. 

See full bioRight Arrow Button Icon

Latest in Tech

Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025

Most Popular

Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Fortune Secondary Logo
Rankings
  • 100 Best Companies
  • Fortune 500
  • Global 500
  • Fortune 500 Europe
  • Most Powerful Women
  • World's Most Admired Companies
  • See All Rankings
  • Lists Calendar
Sections
  • Finance
  • Fortune Crypto
  • Features
  • Leadership
  • Health
  • Commentary
  • Success
  • Retail
  • Mpw
  • Tech
  • Lifestyle
  • CEO Initiative
  • Asia
  • Politics
  • Conferences
  • Europe
  • Newsletters
  • Personal Finance
  • Environment
  • Magazine
  • Education
Customer Support
  • Frequently Asked Questions
  • Customer Service Portal
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms Of Use
  • Single Issues For Purchase
  • International Print
Commercial Services
  • Advertising
  • Fortune Brand Studio
  • Fortune Analytics
  • Fortune Conferences
  • Business Development
  • Group Subscriptions
About Us
  • About Us
  • Press Center
  • Work At Fortune
  • Terms And Conditions
  • Site Map
  • About Us
  • Press Center
  • Work At Fortune
  • Terms And Conditions
  • Site Map
  • Facebook icon
  • Twitter icon
  • LinkedIn icon
  • Instagram icon
  • Pinterest icon

Latest in Tech

Anduril CEO Brian Schimpf
MagazineDefense
Inside Anduril: Meet the quiet engineer-CEO building America’s $31 billion weapons startup
By Allie GarfinkleMay 6, 2026
2 hours ago
A Michigan farm town voted down plans for a giant OpenAI-Oracle data center. Weeks later, construction began
MagazineData centers
A Michigan farm town voted down plans for a giant OpenAI-Oracle data center. Weeks later, construction began
By Sharon GoldmanMay 6, 2026
2 hours ago
theo
CommentaryManufacturing
The hidden bottleneck holding back American manufacturing isn’t machines — it’s knowledge
By Theo SavilleMay 6, 2026
2 hours ago
Man in suit coat with hands gesturing
Investingtech stocks
Supermicro CEO insists ‘no one’ beyond indicted employees were involved in alleged $2.5 billion smuggling scheme
By Amanda GerutMay 5, 2026
7 hours ago
Gen Alpha is using makeup to pass age verification tech online. One mom caught her son using an eyebrow pencil
CybersecuritySocial Media
Gen Alpha is using makeup to pass age verification tech online. One mom caught her son using an eyebrow pencil
By Catherina GioinoMay 5, 2026
13 hours ago
OpenAI cofounder and president Greg Brockman (left) and cofounder and CEO Sam Altman (right) dressed in suits and walking through the lobby of a court house.
NewslettersEye on AI
Musk’s court fight against OpenAI produces more heat than light on the control of advanced AI
By Jeremy KahnMay 5, 2026
13 hours ago

Most Popular

Clean energy's winning argument is the one it refuses to make
Commentary
Clean energy's winning argument is the one it refuses to make
By David CraneMay 5, 2026
22 hours ago
Current price of oil as of May 5, 2026
Personal Finance
Current price of oil as of May 5, 2026
By Joseph HostetlerMay 5, 2026
20 hours ago
Gen Z workers say showing up 10 minutes late to work is as good as on time—but baby boomer bosses have zero tolerance for tardiness, research reveals
Success
Gen Z workers say showing up 10 minutes late to work is as good as on time—but baby boomer bosses have zero tolerance for tardiness, research reveals
By Orianna Rosa RoyleMay 5, 2026
20 hours ago
Diary of a CEO founder says he hired someone with 'zero' work experience because she 'thanked the security guard by name' before the interview
Success
Diary of a CEO founder says he hired someone with 'zero' work experience because she 'thanked the security guard by name' before the interview
By Emma BurleighMay 3, 2026
3 days ago
Current price of silver as of Tuesday, May 5, 2026
Personal Finance
Current price of silver as of Tuesday, May 5, 2026
By Joseph HostetlerMay 5, 2026
21 hours ago
China stopped issuing new robotaxi licenses over a glitch. America can't stop them from rolling into active shooter situations
Law
China stopped issuing new robotaxi licenses over a glitch. America can't stop them from rolling into active shooter situations
By Catherina GioinoMay 4, 2026
2 days ago

© 2026 Fortune Media IP Limited. All Rights Reserved. Use of this site constitutes acceptance of our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy | CA Notice at Collection and Privacy Notice | Do Not Sell/Share My Personal Information
FORTUNE is a trademark of Fortune Media IP Limited, registered in the U.S. and other countries. FORTUNE may receive compensation for some links to products and services on this website. Offers may be subject to change without notice.