FTC launches investigation into Equifax breach

The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) on Thursday announced that it had launched an investigation into the Equifax breach that left sensitive information for 143 million Americans exposed to hackers.

“The FTC typically does not comment on ongoing investigations,” FTC spokesman Peter Kaplan said in an email. “However, in light of the intense public interest and the potential impact of this matter, I can confirm that FTC staff is investigating the Equifax data breach.”

It is extremely rare for the agency to publicly confirm an investigation.

{mosads}Last week, Equifax revealed the breach that had taken place in May and June and exposed information like Social Security numbers of nearly half the country. More than 200,000 people had their credit card numbers stolen as well.

Congress has also been scrutinizing the credit-reporting agency. Multiple committees have announced hearings on the breach and on Wednesday the House Commerce Committee invited Equifax CEO Richard Smith to testify before on the company’s handling of the crisis.