WATCHDOG OPENS EQUIFAX PROBE
Canada’s privacy watchdog said Friday it has opened an investigation into the massive Equifax Inc. data breach after receiving several complaints and dozens of calls from concerned Canadians. “The investigation is a priority for our office given the sensitivity of the personal information that Equifax holds,” the Office of the Privacy Commissioner of Canada said on its website. It added that the credit monitoring company will notify all impacted Canadians in writing as soon as possible. Equifax is used by many creditors to get reports on consumers’ credit histories, which include information such as social insurance numbers, credit card numbers and home addresses. Equifax said on Sept. 7 that it was the victim of a huge cyberattack that may have compromised the personal data of as many as 143 million Americans and a limited number of Canadian and U.K. residents.