Recently, Equifax-the giant credit scoring agency-revealed that they suffered a breach of their computer systems, and that about 182 million records may have been compromised. I’m guessing 182 million includes just about everyone with a credit file.
The compromised information includes:
“…primarily names, Social Security numbers, birth dates, addresses and, in some instances, driver’s license numbers. In addition, credit card numbers for approximately 209,000 U.S. consumers, and certain dispute documents with personal identifying information for approximately 182,000 U.S. consumers, were accessed…”
What you should do about this important event.
Go to www.equifaxsecurity2017.com
- Click the link titled “enroll”
- Enter your last name, last 6 digits of your social security number, and go through the test to prove you’re not a robot.
Most likely, you will see a notification that your information was compromised.
- Enroll in the free credit monitoring service. This will help notify you of fraudulent activity on your credit file.
- Optionally, you can put a credit freeze or fraud alert on your credit file.
Interestingly, this breach is said to have been caused by unpatched (not updated) software. The takeaway here for all of us is the importance of keeping your operating system, applications, cell phone, tablets, and all other electronic devices software updated. The update for this particular issue appears to have been released months prior to the breach.
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Featured Vendors
From time-to-time, I will let you know of vendors that I think are exceptional. I will also make a list of these vendors available on our website.
Massage
I’ve been getting massages from Selina for about 3 years. She is so good that I frequently fall asleep on her table. Her office is in Lafayette. If you’re looking for a great massage, please send Selina a email and setup an appointment, selinameng1314@gmail.com.
Real Estate Services
My good friend of over 30 years, Allen Hibbard, is an exceptional real estate broker, based in Berkeley. He has decades of experience, including real estate sales, both commercial & residential, real estate office manager, and real estate trainer. If you’re in need of a great agent, please give Allen a call at (510) 295-3015, or email him at allenhibbard@gmail.com.
Edward