{"id":996,"date":"2019-07-23T23:53:04","date_gmt":"2019-07-23T18:23:04","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.kratikal.com\/blog\/?p=996"},"modified":"2024-08-23T13:01:40","modified_gmt":"2024-08-23T07:31:40","slug":"equifax-data-breach-settlement","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/threatcop.com\/blog\/equifax-data-breach-settlement\/","title":{"rendered":"Equifax Data Breach: $700 Mn Paid in Ransom"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"1400\" height=\"950\" src=\"https:\/\/threatcop.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/01\/equifax-min-min.webp\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-10718\"\/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\">Due to the Equifax data breach what happened, is the credit reporting company<\/span> <span style=\"color: #183994;\"><strong><a style=\"color: #183994;\" href=\"https:\/\/www.cnbc.com\/2019\/07\/22\/equifax-to-pay-up-to-650-million-in-data-breach-settlement.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">had to pay up to $700 million<\/a><\/strong><\/span> <span style=\"color: #000000;\">for settling down the lawsuit. This lawsuit is the result of the Equifax data breach that led to the compromise of the personal information of 145.5 million accounts. The company will have to pay $425 million to affected customers.<\/span><\/p><div id=\"ez-toc-container\" class=\"ez-toc-v2_0_86 ez-toc-wrap-center counter-hierarchy ez-toc-counter ez-toc-light-blue ez-toc-container-direction\">\n<div class=\"ez-toc-title-container\">\n<p class=\"ez-toc-title\" style=\"cursor:inherit\">Table of Contents<\/p>\n<span class=\"ez-toc-title-toggle\"><a href=\"#\" class=\"ez-toc-pull-right ez-toc-btn ez-toc-btn-xs ez-toc-btn-default ez-toc-toggle\" aria-label=\"Toggle Table of Content\"><span class=\"ez-toc-js-icon-con\"><span class=\"\"><span class=\"eztoc-hide\" style=\"display:none;\">Toggle<\/span><span class=\"ez-toc-icon-toggle-span\"><svg style=\"fill: #414141;color:#414141\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" class=\"list-377408\" width=\"20px\" height=\"20px\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" fill=\"none\"><path d=\"M6 6H4v2h2V6zm14 0H8v2h12V6zM4 11h2v2H4v-2zm16 0H8v2h12v-2zM4 16h2v2H4v-2zm16 0H8v2h12v-2z\" fill=\"currentColor\"><\/path><\/svg><svg style=\"fill: #414141;color:#414141\" class=\"arrow-unsorted-368013\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" width=\"10px\" height=\"10px\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" version=\"1.2\" baseProfile=\"tiny\"><path d=\"M18.2 9.3l-6.2-6.3-6.2 6.3c-.2.2-.3.4-.3.7s.1.5.3.7c.2.2.4.3.7.3h11c.3 0 .5-.1.7-.3.2-.2.3-.5.3-.7s-.1-.5-.3-.7zM5.8 14.7l6.2 6.3 6.2-6.3c.2-.2.3-.5.3-.7s-.1-.5-.3-.7c-.2-.2-.4-.3-.7-.3h-11c-.3 0-.5.1-.7.3-.2.2-.3.5-.3.7s.1.5.3.7z\"\/><\/svg><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/a><\/span><\/div>\n<nav><ul class='ez-toc-list ez-toc-list-level-1 ' ><ul class='ez-toc-list-level-3' ><li class='ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-1\" href=\"https:\/\/threatcop.com\/blog\/equifax-data-breach-settlement\/#Due_to_the_lawsuit_against_Equifax_data_breach_what_happened_is%E2%80%A6\" >Due to the lawsuit against Equifax data breach what happened is&#8230;<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-2\" href=\"https:\/\/threatcop.com\/blog\/equifax-data-breach-settlement\/#Free_credit_monitoring\" >Free credit monitoring<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-3\" href=\"https:\/\/threatcop.com\/blog\/equifax-data-breach-settlement\/#Reimbursement\" >Reimbursement<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-4\" href=\"https:\/\/threatcop.com\/blog\/equifax-data-breach-settlement\/#Book_a_Free_Demo_Call_with_Our_Expert\" >Book a Free Demo Call with Our Expert<\/a><ul class='ez-toc-list-level-3' ><li class='ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-5\" href=\"https:\/\/threatcop.com\/blog\/equifax-data-breach-settlement\/#How_can_consumers_avail_these_benefits\" >How can consumers avail these benefits?<\/a><ul class='ez-toc-list-level-4' ><li class='ez-toc-heading-level-4'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-6\" href=\"https:\/\/threatcop.com\/blog\/equifax-data-breach-settlement\/#Was_I_affected_by_the_Equifax_data_breach\" >Was I affected by the Equifax data breach?<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/li><\/ul><\/li><\/ul><\/nav><\/div>\n\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\">The rest of the money will be spent to manage the lawsuit expenditures. However, the amount will be provided to only those consumers who suffered financial loss because of the breach.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"aligncenter size-full\"><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"870\" height=\"198\" src=\"https:\/\/threatcop.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/01\/euifax-quote.webp\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-10719\"\/><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\">Equifax has also agreed to boost its security practices and its policies will be<\/span>&nbsp;<span style=\"color: #183994;\"><strong><a style=\"color: #183994;\" href=\"https:\/\/www.kratikal.com\/iso-27001-certification.php\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">assessed by a third party<\/a><\/strong><\/span> <span style=\"color: #000000;\">in the future.&nbsp;According to The Times reports, just around seven million people will sign up for Equifax\u2019s credit monitoring offers.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Due_to_the_lawsuit_against_Equifax_data_breach_what_happened_is%E2%80%A6\"><\/span><span style=\"color: #000000;\">Due to the lawsuit against Equifax data breach what happened is&#8230;<\/span><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\">Affected customers can apply for one or more remedies including:<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Free_credit_monitoring\"><\/span><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><strong>Free credit monitoring<\/strong><\/span><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\">Consumers can enjoy four years of free credit monitoring via all three major bureaus including Equifax, Trans Union, and Experian.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\">The settlement allows up to six more years of bureau monitoring exclusively through Experian. In case, the consumer does not want to take advantage of the credit monitoring offers, he can opt for a $125 cash payment.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n<p><iframe title=\"Equifax to pay $700M after massive data breach\" width=\"500\" height=\"281\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/_c0AoirlQhw?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe><\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Reimbursement\"><\/span><strong>Reimbursement<\/strong><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><span style=\"color: #000000;\">Consumers will be reimbursed for the amount that they spent on the ramification of<\/span> a&nbsp;<span style=\"color: #183994;\"><strong><a style=\"color: #183994;\" href=\"https:\/\/www.kratikal.com\/blog\/data-breach-first-quarter-2019\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">data breach<\/a><\/strong><\/span><span style=\"color: #000000;\">. This includes identity theft, personal information misuse caused by the breach, purchasing credit monitoring, etc.<\/span><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><span style=\"color: #000000;\">However, the total cash reimbursement payment cannot exceed $20,000 per consumer.<\/span><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><span style=\"color: #000000;\">Support for ongoing identity theft issues and \u201cfree assisted identity restoration services.\u201d for up to seven years.<\/span><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><span style=\"color: #000000;\">The cost of Equifax credit monitoring and related services between September 7, 2016, and September 7, 2017. This will be equivalent to 25% of the total amount you paid as a cost.<\/span><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><span style=\"color: #000000;\">In case, the victim was a minor in May 2017, he is eligible for free credit monitoring for 18 years.<\/span><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><span style=\"color: #000000;\">Free Credit Reports for U.S. Consumers<\/span><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><span style=\"color: #000000;\">From 2020, all U.S. consumers can get 6 additional free credit reports annually for 7 years from Equifax\u2019s website.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<meta charset=\"UTF-8\">\n<meta name=\"viewport\" content=\"width=device-width, initial-scale=1.0\">\n<title>Threatcop \u2013 Book a Free Demo<\/title>\n<link href=\"https:\/\/fonts.googleapis.com\/css2?family=Outfit:wght@300;400;500;600;700&#038;display=swap\" rel=\"stylesheet\">\n<style>\n  .tc-wrap , .tc-wrap ::before, .tc-wrap ::after { box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0; padding: 0; }\n  .tc-wrap { font-family: 'Outfit', sans-serif; width: 100%; display: flex; justify-content: center; padding: 20px 10px; }\n  .tc-card { width: 100%; max-width: 820px; background: #fff; border-radius: 20px; overflow: hidden; box-shadow: 0 20px 60px rgba(24,57,148,0.13), 0 4px 16px rgba(24,57,148,0.07); display: flex; flex-direction: row; }\n  .tc-left { background: linear-gradient(160deg, #1e44b0 0%, #183994 40%, #0e2570 100%); width: 320px; flex-shrink: 0; padding: 40px 32px; display: flex; flex-direction: column; justify-content: center; position: relative; overflow: hidden; }\n  .tc-left::before { content: ''; position: absolute; inset: 0; background-image: radial-gradient(rgba(255,255,255,0.08) 1.5px, transparent 1.5px); background-size: 22px 22px; }\n  .tc-left::after { content: ''; position: absolute; bottom: -60px; right: -60px; width: 220px; height: 220px; background: radial-gradient(circle, rgba(99,179,255,0.22) 0%, transparent 65%); border-radius: 50%; pointer-events: none; }\n  .tc-panel-inner { position: relative; z-index: 1; }\n  .tc-badge { display: inline-flex !important; align-items: center !important; gap: 6px; background: rgba(255,255,255,0.1) !important; border: 1px solid rgba(255,255,255,0.18) !important; border-radius: 20px !important; padding: 4px 14px 4px 10px !important; font-size: 12.5px !important; font-weight: 600 !important; letter-spacing: .09em !important; text-transform: uppercase !important; color: rgba(255,255,255,0.85) !important; margin-bottom: 18px !important; font-family: 'Outfit', sans-serif !important; line-height: 1.4 !important; }\n  .tc-badge-dot { width: 6px; height: 6px; background: #5cd9a0; border-radius: 50%; box-shadow: 0 0 6px #5cd9a0; flex-shrink: 0; display: inline-block; }\n  .tc-left h1, .tc-left h2, .tc-left h3, .tc-left h4, .tc-left h5, .tc-left h6 { color: #ffffff !important; font-family: 'Outfit', sans-serif !important; font-size: 28px !important; font-weight: 700 !important; line-height: 1.35 !important; letter-spacing: -0.3px !important; margin: 0 !important; padding: 0 !important; background: none !important; -webkit-text-fill-color: #ffffff !important; }\n  .tc-left h2 em { font-style: normal !important; color: #7ec8ff !important; -webkit-text-fill-color: #7ec8ff !important; }\n  .tc-left p, .tc-left .tc-sub { color: rgba(255,255,255,0.78) !important; -webkit-text-fill-color: rgba(255,255,255,0.78) !important; font-family: 'Outfit', sans-serif !important; font-size: 14px !important; font-weight: 300 !important; line-height: 1.65 !important; margin-top: 12px !important; background: none !important; }\n  .tc-right { flex: 1; padding: 32px 32px 28px; display: flex; flex-direction: column; justify-content: center; }\n  .tc-form-title { font-size: 13px !important; font-weight: 600 !important; letter-spacing: .12em; text-transform: uppercase; color: #8fa4cc !important; margin-bottom: 20px !important; display: flex !important; align-items: center !important; gap: 10px; font-family: 'Outfit', sans-serif !important; }\n  .tc-form-title::after { content: ''; flex: 1; height: 1px; background: #eef1fa; }\n  .tc-grid { display: grid; grid-template-columns: 1fr 1fr; gap: 14px; }\n  .tc-field { display: flex; flex-direction: column; gap: 5px; }\n  .tc-field.full { grid-column: 1 \/ -1; }\n  .tc-field label { font-size: 13px !important; font-weight: 600 !important; color: #3a4f7a !important; letter-spacing: .04em; text-transform: uppercase; font-family: 'Outfit', sans-serif !important; display: block !important; }\n  .tc-input-wrap { position: relative; display: flex; align-items: center; }\n  .tc-input-wrap .tc-fi { position: absolute; right: 12px; width: 15px; height: 15px; stroke: #c0ccdf; stroke-width: 1.8; pointer-events: none; fill: none; }\n  .tc-wrap input[type=\"text\"], .tc-wrap input[type=\"email\"], .tc-wrap input[type=\"number\"] { width: 100% !important; border: 1.5px solid #e2e9f7 !important; border-radius: 10px !important; padding: 9px 34px 9px 13px !important; font-family: 'Outfit', sans-serif !important; font-size: 15px !important; font-weight: 400 !important; color: #1e2d50 !important; background: #f8faff !important; outline: none !important; transition: border-color .2s, background .2s, box-shadow .2s; -moz-appearance: textfield; box-shadow: none !important; -webkit-text-fill-color: #1e2d50 !important; }\n  .tc-wrap input[type=\"number\"]::-webkit-inner-spin-button, .tc-wrap input[type=\"number\"]::-webkit-outer-spin-button { -webkit-appearance: none; }\n  .tc-wrap input::placeholder { color: #c0ccdf !important; -webkit-text-fill-color: #c0ccdf !important; opacity: 1; }\n  .tc-wrap input:focus { border-color: #183994 !important; background: #fff !important; box-shadow: 0 0 0 3.5px rgba(24,57,148,0.1) !important; }\n  .tc-phone-row { display: flex; gap: 8px; }\n  .tc-flag-select { position: relative; flex-shrink: 0; }\n  .tc-flag-select select { appearance: none !important; -webkit-appearance: none !important; border: 1.5px solid #e2e9f7 !important; border-radius: 10px !important; padding: 9px 26px 9px 12px !important; font-family: 'Outfit', sans-serif !important; font-size: 14px !important; font-weight: 500 !important; color: #1e2d50 !important; background: #f8faff !important; outline: none !important; cursor: pointer; width: 100px !important; transition: border-color .2s, box-shadow .2s; }\n  .tc-flag-select select:focus { border-color: #183994 !important; box-shadow: 0 0 0 3.5px rgba(24,57,148,0.1) !important; }\n  .tc-flag-select::after { content: ''; position: absolute; right: 10px; top: 50%; transform: translateY(-50%); width: 0; height: 0; border-left: 4px solid transparent; border-right: 4px solid transparent; border-top: 5px solid #a0b0cc; pointer-events: none; }\n  .tc-phone-row .tc-input-wrap { flex: 1; }\n  .tc-btn-submit { width: 100% !important; margin-top: 18px !important; padding: 11px !important; background: #183994 !important; border: none !important; border-radius: 10px !important; color: #fff !important; -webkit-text-fill-color: #fff !important; font-family: 'Outfit', sans-serif !important; font-size: 15px !important; font-weight: 600 !important; letter-spacing: .05em; cursor: pointer; display: flex !important; align-items: center !important; justify-content: center !important; gap: 9px; transition: background .2s, transform .15s, box-shadow .2s; box-shadow: 0 6px 24px rgba(24,57,148,0.28) !important; text-decoration: none !important; }\n  .tc-btn-submit:hover { background: #1d46b5 !important; transform: translateY(-1px); box-shadow: 0 10px 32px rgba(24,57,148,0.35) !important; color: #fff !important; }\n  .tc-btn-submit:active { transform: translateY(0); }\n  .tc-btn-submit svg { width: 16px; height: 16px; stroke: #fff; stroke-width: 2.2; fill: none; flex-shrink: 0; }\n  .tc-trust { margin-top: 10px !important; display: flex !important; align-items: center !important; justify-content: center !important; gap: 5px; font-size: 13px !important; color: #a0b0cc !important; font-family: 'Outfit', sans-serif !important; }\n  .tc-trust svg { width: 12px; height: 12px; stroke: #a0b0cc; stroke-width: 2; fill: none; flex-shrink: 0; }\n  @media (max-width: 680px) {\n    .tc-card { flex-direction: column !important; }\n    .tc-left { width: 100% !important; padding: 28px 24px 24px !important; }\n    .tc-right { padding: 24px 20px !important; }\n    .tc-grid { grid-template-columns: 1fr !important; }\n    .tc-field.full { grid-column: 1 !important; }\n  }\n<\/style>\n\n<div class=\"tc-wrap\">\n  <div class=\"tc-card\">\n    <div class=\"tc-left\">\n      <div class=\"tc-panel-inner\">\n        <div class=\"tc-badge\">\n          <span class=\"tc-badge-dot\"><\/span>\n          People Security Management\n        <\/div>\n        <h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Book_a_Free_Demo_Call_with_Our_Expert\"><\/span>Book a Free<br><em>Demo Call<\/em><br>with Our Expert<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n        <p class=\"tc-sub\">Discover how Threatcop protects your workforce from modern cyber threats.<\/p>\n      <\/div>\n    <\/div>\n    <div class=\"tc-right\">\n      <div class=\"tc-form-title\">Your Details<\/div>\n      <form action=\"https:\/\/threatcop.com\/thankyou-blog\" method=\"get\" target=\"_blank\">\n        <input type=\"hidden\" name=\"BlogForm\" value=\"BlogForm\">\n        <input type=\"hidden\" name=\"PageSource\" id=\"tc-page-source\" value=\"\">\n        <div class=\"tc-grid\">\n          <div class=\"tc-field\">\n            <label>Full Name<\/label>\n            <div class=\"tc-input-wrap\">\n              <input type=\"text\" name=\"FullName\" placeholder=\"Jane Smith\" required=\"\">\n              <svg class=\"tc-fi\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" stroke-linecap=\"round\"><circle cx=\"12\" cy=\"8\" r=\"4\"><\/circle><path d=\"M4 20c0-4 3.58-7 8-7s8 3 8 7\"><\/path><\/svg>\n            <\/div>\n          <\/div>\n          <div class=\"tc-field\">\n            <label>Company Name<\/label>\n            <div class=\"tc-input-wrap\">\n              <input type=\"text\" name=\"CompanyName\" placeholder=\"Acme Corp\" required=\"\">\n              <svg class=\"tc-fi\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" stroke-linecap=\"round\"><rect x=\"3\" y=\"3\" width=\"18\" height=\"18\" rx=\"2\"><\/rect><path d=\"M9 3v18M3 9h6M3 15h6\"><\/path><\/svg>\n            <\/div>\n          <\/div>\n          <div class=\"tc-field full\">\n            <label>Corporate Email<\/label>\n            <div class=\"tc-input-wrap\">\n              <input type=\"email\" name=\"email\" placeholder=\"jane@yourcompany.com\" required=\"\">\n              <svg class=\"tc-fi\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" stroke-linecap=\"round\"><rect x=\"2\" y=\"4\" width=\"20\" height=\"16\" rx=\"2\"><\/rect><polyline points=\"2,4 12,13 22,4\"><\/polyline><\/svg>\n            <\/div>\n          <\/div>\n          <div class=\"tc-field full\">\n            <label>Phone Number<\/label>\n            <div class=\"tc-input-wrap\">\n              <input type=\"number\" name=\"Phone\" placeholder=\"98765 43210\" required=\"\">\n              <svg class=\"tc-fi\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" stroke-linecap=\"round\"><path d=\"M22 16.92v3a2 2 0 01-2.18 2A19.79 19.79 0 013.09 4.18 2 2 0 015.07 2h3a2 2 0 012 1.72c.13.96.36 1.9.71 2.81a2 2 0 01-.45 2.11L9.09 9.91a16 16 0 006 6l1.27-1.27a2 2 0 012.11-.45c.91.35 1.85.58 2.81.71A2 2 0 0122 16.92z\"><\/path><\/svg>\n            <\/div>\n          <\/div>\n        <\/div>\n        <button type=\"submit\" class=\"tc-btn-submit\">\n          <svg viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" stroke-linecap=\"round\"><path d=\"M22 2L11 13M22 2L15 22l-4-9-9-4 20-7z\"><\/path><\/svg>\n          Book My Free Demo\n        <\/button>\n        <div class=\"tc-trust\">\n          <svg viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" stroke-linecap=\"round\"><rect x=\"3\" y=\"11\" width=\"18\" height=\"11\" rx=\"2\"><\/rect><path d=\"M7 11V7a5 5 0 0110 0v4\"><\/path><\/svg>\n          Your data is safe &amp; never shared with third parties\n        <\/div>\n      <\/form>\n    <\/div>\n  <\/div>\n<\/div>\n<script>document.getElementById('tc-page-source').value = window.location.href;<\/script>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"How_can_consumers_avail_these_benefits\"><\/span><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><strong>How can consumers avail these benefits?<\/strong><\/span><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\">Immediately after<\/span> <strong><span style=\"color: #183994;\"><a style=\"color: #183994;\" href=\"https:\/\/www.lifelock.com\/learn-data-breaches-equifax-data-breach-2017.htmlhttps:\/\/www.lifelock.com\/learn-data-breaches-equifax-data-breach-2017.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Equifax data breach what happened<\/a><\/span><\/strong> <span style=\"color: #000000;\">was, consumers started putting in efforts to avoid or recover from identity theft. Save documents related to such efforts.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\">Visit<\/span> <span style=\"color: #000000;\">the<\/span>&nbsp;<strong><span style=\"color: #183994;\"><a style=\"color: #183994;\" href=\"https:\/\/www.ftc.gov\/enforcement\/cases-proceedings\/refunds\/equifax-data-breach-settlement\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">FTC<\/a> <\/span><\/strong><span style=\"color: #000000;\">website for further updates.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n<h4 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Was_I_affected_by_the_Equifax_data_breach\"><\/span><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><strong>Was I affected by the Equifax data breach?<\/strong><\/span><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h4>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\">FTC email updates will be helpful in case, the consumer is not sure if being affected by the breach or not.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\">With the increasing awareness about cyber-attacks, not only organizations but also, consumers are becoming vigilant. They want to know about their rights concerning data privacy and maintaining the confidentiality of personal information.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\">In the Equifax data breach what happened was that the cause behind the attack was not clear. However, the breach could have been evaded with proper<\/span> <a href=\"https:\/\/threatcop.com\/blog\/benefits-and-purpose-of-security-awareness-training\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"><span style=\"color: #183994;\"><strong>cyber security awareness and training<\/strong><\/span>.<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\">Security attacks simulator and awareness tool<\/span> <span style=\"color: #183994;\"><strong>TSAT<\/strong><\/span> <span style=\"color: #000000;\">helps in the overall development of employees&#8217; ability to recognize and avoid cyber threats. With its 4-step simulation and awareness cycle, employees learn and implement the gathered knowledge to defend against actual cyber-attacks.<\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Due to the Equifax data breach what happened, is the credit reporting company had to pay up to $700 million for settling down the lawsuit. This lawsuit is the result of the Equifax data breach that led to the compromise of the personal information of 145.5 million accounts. The company will have to pay $425 [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":7594,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[41],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-996","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-cyber-attacks"],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v28.3 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/product\/yoast-seo-wordpress\/ -->\n<title>Equifax data breach | Threatcop<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Due to the largest ever Equifax data breach what happened is that it has to pay up to $700 million in settlement to its consumers.\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/threatcop.com\/blog\/equifax-data-breach-settlement\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Equifax data breach | Threatcop\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Due to the largest ever Equifax data breach what happened is that it has to pay up to $700 million in settlement to its consumers.\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/threatcop.com\/blog\/equifax-data-breach-settlement\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"Threatcop\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:publisher\" content=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/people\/Threatcop\/100083109892339\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2019-07-23T18:23:04+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:modified_time\" content=\"2024-08-23T07:31:40+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"https:\/\/threatcop.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/07\/Equifax-Data-Breach.webp\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:width\" content=\"1250\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:height\" content=\"1200\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:type\" content=\"image\/webp\" \/>\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"Threatcop\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:creator\" content=\"@threatcop\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:site\" content=\"@threatcop\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Written by\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"Threatcop\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:label2\" content=\"Est. reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data2\" content=\"4 minutes\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\\\/\\\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"Article\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/threatcop.com\\\/blog\\\/equifax-data-breach-settlement\\\/#article\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/threatcop.com\\\/blog\\\/equifax-data-breach-settlement\\\/\"},\"author\":{\"name\":\"Threatcop\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/threatcop.com\\\/blog\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/person\\\/e4db27ffd37219d73fc6b40cc9d45cfa\"},\"headline\":\"Equifax Data Breach: $700 Mn Paid in Ransom\",\"datePublished\":\"2019-07-23T18:23:04+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2024-08-23T07:31:40+00:00\",\"mainEntityOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/threatcop.com\\\/blog\\\/equifax-data-breach-settlement\\\/\"},\"wordCount\":534,\"commentCount\":0,\"publisher\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/threatcop.com\\\/blog\\\/#organization\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/threatcop.com\\\/blog\\\/equifax-data-breach-settlement\\\/#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/threatcop.com\\\/blog\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2019\\\/07\\\/Equifax-Data-Breach.webp\",\"articleSection\":[\"Cyber Attacks\"],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"CommentAction\",\"name\":\"Comment\",\"target\":[\"https:\\\/\\\/threatcop.com\\\/blog\\\/equifax-data-breach-settlement\\\/#respond\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/threatcop.com\\\/blog\\\/equifax-data-breach-settlement\\\/\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/threatcop.com\\\/blog\\\/equifax-data-breach-settlement\\\/\",\"name\":\"Equifax data breach | Threatcop\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/threatcop.com\\\/blog\\\/#website\"},\"primaryImageOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/threatcop.com\\\/blog\\\/equifax-data-breach-settlement\\\/#primaryimage\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/threatcop.com\\\/blog\\\/equifax-data-breach-settlement\\\/#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/threatcop.com\\\/blog\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2019\\\/07\\\/Equifax-Data-Breach.webp\",\"datePublished\":\"2019-07-23T18:23:04+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2024-08-23T07:31:40+00:00\",\"description\":\"Due to the largest ever Equifax data breach what happened is that it has to pay up to $700 million in settlement to its consumers.\",\"breadcrumb\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/threatcop.com\\\/blog\\\/equifax-data-breach-settlement\\\/#breadcrumb\"},\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"ReadAction\",\"target\":[\"https:\\\/\\\/threatcop.com\\\/blog\\\/equifax-data-breach-settlement\\\/\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/threatcop.com\\\/blog\\\/equifax-data-breach-settlement\\\/#primaryimage\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/threatcop.com\\\/blog\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2019\\\/07\\\/Equifax-Data-Breach.webp\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/threatcop.com\\\/blog\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2019\\\/07\\\/Equifax-Data-Breach.webp\",\"width\":1250,\"height\":1200,\"caption\":\"Equifax Data Breach\"},{\"@type\":\"BreadcrumbList\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/threatcop.com\\\/blog\\\/equifax-data-breach-settlement\\\/#breadcrumb\",\"itemListElement\":[{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":1,\"name\":\"Home\",\"item\":\"https:\\\/\\\/threatcop.com\\\/blog\\\/\"},{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":2,\"name\":\"Equifax Data Breach: $700 Mn Paid in Ransom\"}]},{\"@type\":\"WebSite\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/threatcop.com\\\/blog\\\/#website\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/threatcop.com\\\/blog\\\/\",\"name\":\"Threatcop\",\"description\":\"Cybersecurity Blogs, News, Updates, and Articles\",\"publisher\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/threatcop.com\\\/blog\\\/#organization\"},\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"SearchAction\",\"target\":{\"@type\":\"EntryPoint\",\"urlTemplate\":\"https:\\\/\\\/threatcop.com\\\/blog\\\/?s={search_term_string}\"},\"query-input\":{\"@type\":\"PropertyValueSpecification\",\"valueRequired\":true,\"valueName\":\"search_term_string\"}}],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\"},{\"@type\":\"Organization\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/threatcop.com\\\/blog\\\/#organization\",\"name\":\"Threatcop\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/threatcop.com\\\/blog\\\/\",\"logo\":{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/threatcop.com\\\/blog\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/logo\\\/image\\\/\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/threatcop.com\\\/blog\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2026\\\/08\\\/threatcop-logo-black-1.png\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/threatcop.com\\\/blog\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2026\\\/08\\\/threatcop-logo-black-1.png\",\"width\":432,\"height\":102,\"caption\":\"Threatcop\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/threatcop.com\\\/blog\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/logo\\\/image\\\/\"},\"sameAs\":[\"https:\\\/\\\/www.facebook.com\\\/people\\\/Threatcop\\\/100083109892339\\\/\",\"https:\\\/\\\/x.com\\\/threatcop\",\"https:\\\/\\\/www.linkedin.com\\\/company\\\/threatcop\\\/\",\"https:\\\/\\\/www.instagram.com\\\/threatcop_official\\\/\"]},{\"@type\":\"Person\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/threatcop.com\\\/blog\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/person\\\/e4db27ffd37219d73fc6b40cc9d45cfa\",\"name\":\"Threatcop\",\"image\":{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/threatcop.com\\\/blog\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2023\\\/10\\\/avatar_user_1_1696398433.jpeg\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/threatcop.com\\\/blog\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2023\\\/10\\\/avatar_user_1_1696398433.jpeg\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/threatcop.com\\\/blog\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2023\\\/10\\\/avatar_user_1_1696398433.jpeg\",\"caption\":\"Threatcop\"},\"sameAs\":[\"https:\\\/\\\/threatcop.com\"]}]}<\/script>\n<!-- \/ Yoast SEO plugin. -->","yoast_head_json":{"title":"Equifax data breach | Threatcop","description":"Due to the largest ever Equifax data breach what happened is that it has to pay up to $700 million in settlement to its consumers.","robots":{"index":"index","follow":"follow","max-snippet":"max-snippet:-1","max-image-preview":"max-image-preview:large","max-video-preview":"max-video-preview:-1"},"canonical":"https:\/\/threatcop.com\/blog\/equifax-data-breach-settlement\/","og_locale":"en_US","og_type":"article","og_title":"Equifax data breach | Threatcop","og_description":"Due to the largest ever Equifax data breach what happened is that it has to pay up to $700 million in settlement to its consumers.","og_url":"https:\/\/threatcop.com\/blog\/equifax-data-breach-settlement\/","og_site_name":"Threatcop","article_publisher":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/people\/Threatcop\/100083109892339\/","article_published_time":"2019-07-23T18:23:04+00:00","article_modified_time":"2024-08-23T07:31:40+00:00","og_image":[{"width":1250,"height":1200,"url":"https:\/\/threatcop.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/07\/Equifax-Data-Breach.webp","type":"image\/webp"}],"author":"Threatcop","twitter_card":"summary_large_image","twitter_creator":"@threatcop","twitter_site":"@threatcop","twitter_misc":{"Written by":"Threatcop","Est. reading time":"4 minutes"},"schema":{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org","@graph":[{"@type":"Article","@id":"https:\/\/threatcop.com\/blog\/equifax-data-breach-settlement\/#article","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/threatcop.com\/blog\/equifax-data-breach-settlement\/"},"author":{"name":"Threatcop","@id":"https:\/\/threatcop.com\/blog\/#\/schema\/person\/e4db27ffd37219d73fc6b40cc9d45cfa"},"headline":"Equifax Data Breach: $700 Mn Paid in Ransom","datePublished":"2019-07-23T18:23:04+00:00","dateModified":"2024-08-23T07:31:40+00:00","mainEntityOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/threatcop.com\/blog\/equifax-data-breach-settlement\/"},"wordCount":534,"commentCount":0,"publisher":{"@id":"https:\/\/threatcop.com\/blog\/#organization"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/threatcop.com\/blog\/equifax-data-breach-settlement\/#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/threatcop.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/07\/Equifax-Data-Breach.webp","articleSection":["Cyber Attacks"],"inLanguage":"en-US","potentialAction":[{"@type":"CommentAction","name":"Comment","target":["https:\/\/threatcop.com\/blog\/equifax-data-breach-settlement\/#respond"]}]},{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https:\/\/threatcop.com\/blog\/equifax-data-breach-settlement\/","url":"https:\/\/threatcop.com\/blog\/equifax-data-breach-settlement\/","name":"Equifax data breach | Threatcop","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/threatcop.com\/blog\/#website"},"primaryImageOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/threatcop.com\/blog\/equifax-data-breach-settlement\/#primaryimage"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/threatcop.com\/blog\/equifax-data-breach-settlement\/#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/threatcop.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/07\/Equifax-Data-Breach.webp","datePublished":"2019-07-23T18:23:04+00:00","dateModified":"2024-08-23T07:31:40+00:00","description":"Due to the largest ever Equifax data breach what happened is that it has to pay up to $700 million in settlement to its consumers.","breadcrumb":{"@id":"https:\/\/threatcop.com\/blog\/equifax-data-breach-settlement\/#breadcrumb"},"inLanguage":"en-US","potentialAction":[{"@type":"ReadAction","target":["https:\/\/threatcop.com\/blog\/equifax-data-breach-settlement\/"]}]},{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/threatcop.com\/blog\/equifax-data-breach-settlement\/#primaryimage","url":"https:\/\/threatcop.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/07\/Equifax-Data-Breach.webp","contentUrl":"https:\/\/threatcop.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/07\/Equifax-Data-Breach.webp","width":1250,"height":1200,"caption":"Equifax Data Breach"},{"@type":"BreadcrumbList","@id":"https:\/\/threatcop.com\/blog\/equifax-data-breach-settlement\/#breadcrumb","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"name":"Home","item":"https:\/\/threatcop.com\/blog\/"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"name":"Equifax Data Breach: $700 Mn Paid in Ransom"}]},{"@type":"WebSite","@id":"https:\/\/threatcop.com\/blog\/#website","url":"https:\/\/threatcop.com\/blog\/","name":"Threatcop","description":"Cybersecurity Blogs, News, Updates, and Articles","publisher":{"@id":"https:\/\/threatcop.com\/blog\/#organization"},"potentialAction":[{"@type":"SearchAction","target":{"@type":"EntryPoint","urlTemplate":"https:\/\/threatcop.com\/blog\/?s={search_term_string}"},"query-input":{"@type":"PropertyValueSpecification","valueRequired":true,"valueName":"search_term_string"}}],"inLanguage":"en-US"},{"@type":"Organization","@id":"https:\/\/threatcop.com\/blog\/#organization","name":"Threatcop","url":"https:\/\/threatcop.com\/blog\/","logo":{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/threatcop.com\/blog\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/","url":"https:\/\/threatcop.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/threatcop-logo-black-1.png","contentUrl":"https:\/\/threatcop.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/threatcop-logo-black-1.png","width":432,"height":102,"caption":"Threatcop"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/threatcop.com\/blog\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/"},"sameAs":["https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/people\/Threatcop\/100083109892339\/","https:\/\/x.com\/threatcop","https:\/\/www.linkedin.com\/company\/threatcop\/","https:\/\/www.instagram.com\/threatcop_official\/"]},{"@type":"Person","@id":"https:\/\/threatcop.com\/blog\/#\/schema\/person\/e4db27ffd37219d73fc6b40cc9d45cfa","name":"Threatcop","image":{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/threatcop.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/10\/avatar_user_1_1696398433.jpeg","url":"https:\/\/threatcop.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/10\/avatar_user_1_1696398433.jpeg","contentUrl":"https:\/\/threatcop.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/10\/avatar_user_1_1696398433.jpeg","caption":"Threatcop"},"sameAs":["https:\/\/threatcop.com"]}]}},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/threatcop.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/996","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/threatcop.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/threatcop.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/threatcop.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/threatcop.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=996"}],"version-history":[{"count":8,"href":"https:\/\/threatcop.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/996\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":11862,"href":"https:\/\/threatcop.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/996\/revisions\/11862"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/threatcop.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/7594"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/threatcop.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=996"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/threatcop.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=996"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/threatcop.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=996"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}