Data of 143 million Consumers Stolen From US Credit Rating Agency, Equifax

Equifax, a credit ration agency announced that hackers made away with personal information of an estimated 143 million US consumers.

Hackers stole data including social security numbers, dates of birth, addresses and driving license numbers. They also stole credit card numbers of about 209000 people, Anadolu Agency reported Friday.

The cyber-attack occurred between May and July of this year. Equifax discovered the hacking on July 29 and enlisted leading cyber-security firms to stop the attack.

"This is clearly a disappointing event for our company, and one that strikes at the heart of who we are and what we do,” Equifax CEO Richard Smith said in a statement.

While these thefts have become alarmingly common, attacks where Social Security numbers, driver’s license information and credit card numbers are stolen are rarer. This information is particularly valuable for identity thieves.

The company noted that the hackers did not seem to be able to infiltrate the systems that control credit scores for millions of Americans.