One of the three major credit bureaus fell prey to a cyberattack that exposed personal data from more than 4.4 million U.S. consumers.
TransUnion confirmed the breach, which involved a third-party application, on Aug. 28. According to the agency, the attack occurred on July 28 and was discovered two days later.
In a statement, TransUnion said it had “quickly contained the issue, which did not involve our core credit database or include credit reports.”
It’s offering affected customers two years of free access to its myTrueIdentity credit monitoring service.
The name of the application was not revealed, but Reuters reported a surge in cyberattacks that trick employees in the U.S and Europe into opening their company’s Salesforce databases. Once inside, hackers can plunder vast stores of data, infiltrate other cloud systems and extort compromised companies.
What is TransUnion
Alongside Experian and Equifax, TransUnion is one of the “big three” consumer credit reporting agencies. It collects financial information on nearly every U.S. consumer with an active credit history.
The information TransUnion gathers is compiled into individual credit reports, which lenders, landlords and other parties use to assess a person’s creditworthiness and associated risk.
An algorithm from FICO can be applied to information in your TransUnion file to determine your three-digit credit score.
How to check if your TransUnion data was hacked
TransUnion began sending letters last week to individuals affected by the breach. However, you can also check your status directly with its fraud assistance line at 800-516-4700. It operates Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. ET.
You should also review your credit reports fromTransUnion,Equifax,andExperian. Free weekly reports from all three agencies are available from AnnualCreditReport.com.
Paid services like MyFico will give you updates on your FICO credit score and monitor your accounts for errors and evidence of fraud, while sites like WalletHub and Credit Karma let you check your VantageScore for free after enrolling.
FICO® Basic, Advanced and Premier
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Cost
$29.95 to $39.95 per month
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Credit bureaus monitored
Experian for Basic plan or Experian, Equifax and TransUnion forAdvanced and Premier plans
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Credit scoring model used
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Dark web scan
Yes, forAdvanced and Premier plans
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Identity insurance
Credit Karma
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Cost
Free, with some paid features available to opt in
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Credit bureaus monitored
2-bureau credit monitoring, alerts and reports: Equifax and TransUnion®
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Credit scoring model used
-
Dark web scan
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Identity theft insurance
Lenders rely on VantageScore much less often than FICO, but your score will give you a good sense of your current credit profile.
How to protect yourself from identity theft
If you’re concerned about identity theft, consider freezing your credit. The process, which prevents outside companies from accessing your credit information, is simple and free, but you must contact each credit agency individually.
You’ll need to provide your name, address, birthdate, Social Security number, and other personal details, and answer a few questions before creating a PIN. The freeze can be paused when you need to apply for a new line of credit.
Identity theft protection servicessuch asAuraandIdentity Guard,can notify the credit bureaus and freeze your accounts on your behalf. They’ll also alert you if your personal information is being used to open new accounts or appears on the dark web.
Take action to protect your identity
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