Following
the data breach of Experian’s computers holding 15 million files of T-Mobile
customers and applicants, Congress and consumer privacy groups are urging
investigations and pressing Experian CEO Brian Cassin for answers.
Senator
Sherrod Brown (D-Ohio), ranking member of the Committee on Banking, Housing,
and Urban Affairs, sent a letter to Cassin asking him to explain how the
company is addressing vulnerabilities to its data security systems and
consumers’ financial information.
“Experian
has files on more than 220 million people. Protection of this information is of
the utmost importance, especially because the scope of the information is vast
and virtually no consumer can apply for credit without entering your system,”
Brown wrote.
“As we have seen repeatedly over the past few years, large companies are
vulnerable to breaches of consumer information and the financial industry is a
prime target for such attacks.”
Brown’s
letter presents a list of eight questions related to the data breach for Cassin
to answer.
A
group of national and state consumer privacy organizations also has a list of
questions, but these were presented to the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau
and the Federal Trade Commission in a letter
urging the agencies to investigate the Experian data breach. The organizations’
letter, released
by U.S. PIRG, expresses “grave
concerns” that Experian’s system may not be adequately protecting consumer
records.
Meanwhile,
Experian says
it is continuing to investigate the theft, closely monitoring its systems, and
working with domestic and international law enforcement. “Investigation of the
incident is ongoing.”
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