Equifax Data Breach

About

The Equifax data breach was a significant cyber attack that occurred between May and July 2017. It exposed sensitive personal information of over 147 million people, including names, addresses, birth dates, Social Security numbers, and driver's license numbers. This breach is considered one of the largest and most severe in history due to the nature of the data compromised and the potential for identity theft. The breach was facilitated by a vulnerability in the Apache Struts software, which Equifax failed to patch despite being notified of the issue. Hackers exploited this vulnerability to gain access to Equifax's systems, operating undetected for several months. The breach was discovered in late July 2017, but it was not publicly disclosed until September 2017. The incident highlighted serious security lapses and led to significant repercussions, including legal actions and changes in Equifax's leadership.