The personal information of about 100,000 Canadian consumers may have been exposed in a massive cybersecurity breach, Equifax Canada said Tuesday.
The consumer information company provides a wide range of services, including credit information and credit ratings on individuals.
On September 7, the company disclosed that the cybersecurity breach exposed the personal data of about 143 million Americans. At the time, the company did not reveal the number of Canadians involved.
Equifax Canada said breached data may have included names, addresses, social insurance numbers (SIN) and in some cases credit card numbers.
“We apologize to Canadian consumers who have been impacted by this incident,” Lisa Nelson, president and general manager, Equifax Canada, said in a statement.
“We understand it has also been frustrating that Equifax Canada has been unable to provide clarity on who was impacted until the investigation is complete. Our focus now is on providing impacted consumers with the support they need,” added Nelson.
Equifax Canada said it has been working with the Office of the Privacy Commissioner of Canada and will be sending notices via mail directly to all impacted consumers outlining the steps they should take. For impacted Canadians the company said it will also be providing complimentary credit monitoring and identity theft protection for 12 months.
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