ALBANY, N.Y.–The New York Department of Financial Services has sent a subpoena to Equifax in the wake of its data breach. According to the agency, the subpoena seeks additional information on the breach, including when the company first earned its systems had been penetrated, and how it responded.
The data breach, which effected 143-million Americans overall, exposed data on approximately eight-million New York residents, including names, Social Security numbers, birthdates, addresses, and in some cases drivers' license numbers.
In the wake of the breach, the state regulator has urged all financial institutions in the state to ensure they have installed the latest patches on their systems and that they take other security steps, as well. The NYDFS also recommended financial institutions go the extra mile in verifying the identity of consumers.
"Given the seriousness of this breach, the potential harm to consumers and our financial institutions, and in light of the fact that a number of financial institutions have arrangements with Equifax under which financial institutions provide consumer account and debt information to Equifax and receive similar information from Equifax, DFS is issuing this guidance to ensure that this incident receives the highest level of attention and vigilance at New York's regulated institutions," Maria T. Vullo, the state's financial services superintendent, said in a statement.
As CUToday.info reported here, New York State became the first to pass its own cybersecurity regulation, which took effect March 1.