As most know, Equifax has been breached and approximately half of America (143 Million) has had their personal information stolen- including name, address, SS#, Driver's license number, birthday, credit card numbers. Just about any data someone would need to steal your identity is no longer secure. There also appears to be a situation where three Equifax executives sold nearly $2 Million in Equifax stock between the time the breach was discovered (July) and when it was announced to the public (Sept.) Citation We're told, to protect yourself, you need to closely monitor bank accounts, credit accounts, check your credit report every three months, and possibly put a security freeze on all your accounts. Of course, putting a security freeze on your accounts carries a fee to the very credit bureaus that were supposed to keep your data secure in the first place. It also requires a "thaw" if you want to buy a car, house, apply for a credit card, and then another fee to "re-freeze" everything. Should these "freezes" become part of the process and happen without fees? How do you prove you're you, when someone else also has your information? There are class action lawsuits being filed against Equifax. I am part of this breach. I'm angry, wary, and concerned about what this means for the future. It's easy to get another Debit Card, Credit Card, etc. However, you can't get another birthday or Social Security number. Do we need yet another identification number now for security? What are realistic expectations for companies like Equifax to keep personal information secure? Should we go to biometric ID? What do you think about the Equifax breach? What should be done moving forward to secure data? Is there any legislation needed? What should happen to executives selling stock between the breach and the announcement? How should this kind of issue be dealt with legally? One Senator has said "someone needs to go to jail." Is that likely? What implications do you see with the Equifax security breach?
