The Irony of a Data Security Company Breach

Scrolling through my Facebook feed today, I was surprised to see an article with a title that was ironic to the point where, for a moment, I questioned if it was satire or not. While known for having somewhat sensationalist titles, the headline"Firm Hired to Monitor Data Breaches Is Hacked" turned out to be straight and to the point. After confirming the breach of Equifax Credit Bureau through other reputable news outlets, I headed to their website to find out more.

It's hard to believe that the personal information of ~143 million Americans was stolen from a data security company, let alone one that claims to be a "leader in managing and protecting data". Luckily, I found out that my information was not included in the breach, but that is not the case for the millions of everyday consumers whose information can now be used to open lines of credit, take out loans, or commit numerous other crimes of fraudulent activity.

Make sure that you and your loved ones did not have your information revealed in the attack. Identity theft is already a major concern for everyone, especially with the growing availability of financial instruments that fraudsters can manipulate.

I suppose that technological and financial innovation can be a two-edged sword, and even the experts who are trusted with our most sensitive personal information can have their defenses overridden.