Equifax data breach: What to know

Credit reporting and technology company Equifax had data compromised in what it said was a cybersecurity incident that affected 143 million customers in the U.S.

Here is what you need to know about the incident:

Equifax learned of the incident in July 2017. The breach occurred from mid-May through July 2017.

According to the FAQ on a website the company created to provide customers with information on the hack, Equifax found out about the breach July 29. The company said it "acted immediately to stop the intrusion and conduct a forensic review." The company says the situation has been contained.

Birth dates, Social Security numbers, credit card numbers and addresses are among the information accessed.

Equifax said that in some instances, driver’s license numbers were also accessed by hackers. Some personal information from UK and Canadian residents was also accessed.

Consumers can enroll in free identity theft protection and credit monitoring.

Equifax has offered free credit monitoring for a year through its subsidiary TrustedID Premier. According Equifax, the credit monitoring service also provides Social Security monitoring, a credit report lock, credit report and identity theft insurance.

Consumers can go to EquifaxSecurity2017.com to find out if their information was impacted by the breach.At the website, consumers can click the "check potential impact link and enter their last name and the last six digits of their social security number. The consumer will get a message alerting them whether or not their data was compromised.

Cox Media Group