Equifax says U.S.-focused theft of data touched ‘certain’ Canadian residents

TORONTO – Credit monitoring company Equifax says that it will work with regulators in Canada and the United Kingdom to determine the appropriate steps following a lapse in cyber security that’s affecting about 143 million people in the United States.

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)

Equifax said it has identified unauthorized access to limited personal information for certain Canadian and U.K. residents but provided no detail about how many people outside the United States were affected.

It also said Equifax will work with unspecified regulators in the two countries to determine appropriate next steps.

In the United States, the theft included consumers’ names, Social Security numbers, birth dates, addresses and, in some cases, driver’s licence numbers.

Equifax Canada says it has no information to add at this time.

The Atlanta-based company has set up a dedicated website and call centre to help consumers determine if their information may have been affected.

The website is www.equifaxsecurity2017.com and the call centre is at 866-447-7559.