Massive credit report hack hits 143 million people

Global Business

This July 21, 2012, photo shows Equifax Inc., offices in Atlanta. Credit monitoring company Equifax says a breach exposed social security numbers and other data from about 143 million Americans. The Atlanta-based company said Thursday, Sept. 7, 2017, that “criminals” exploited a U.S. website application to access files between mid-May and July of this year. (AP Photo/Mike Stewart)

A hack may have compromised the personal information of about three-quarters of the U.S. adult population.

The breach of consumer credit reporting company Equifax is among the largest ever, affecting about 143 million people.

CGTN’s Nick Harper reports.

The company says it discovered the intrusion at the end of July but did not explain why it’s taken them so long to report it.

Hackers accessed personally identifying information, including social security and identification numbers.

Some British and Canadian residents may also be affected.