Major Equifax Data Breach Prompts Demands for Investigation, Tighter Consumer Protection Rules

Equifax, one of the country’s main credit reporting companies, revealed last week that a data breach exposed up to 143 million Americans’ social security numbers and other personal information. Lawmakers are now calling for stricter rules protecting consumer data and for a probe of Equifax, three of whose managers reportedly sold company stock in July. We’ll discuss the scope and impact of the breach and what consumers should do to protect themselves.