Lessons from the Equifax Data Breach

When we talk about the most damaging data breaches in history, the Equifax breach of 2017 sits near the top of the list. It wasn’t just the scale—affecting nearly 150 million people—it was the kind of data that got exposed. Social Security numbers, birth dates, addresses, and even driver’s license information were compromised. For cybersecurity professionals and learners alike, this incident became a textbook example of what can go wrong when basic security hygiene is ignored. If you're planning to build a career in defending systems and stopping attacks before they happen, a Cyber Security Weekend Course in Chennai can equip you with the right mindset, tools, and techniques. Now, let’s dig into what exactly went wrong with Equifax and what the entire industry has learned since. What Happened in the Equifax Data Breach? The breach occurred between mid-May and July 2017 , but it wasn’t publicly disclosed until September 7, 2017 . During that window, attackers exploited a known...