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Attorney General Hill Sues Equifax Over 2017 Data Breach

By Brandon Smith, IPB News | Published on in Business, Government, Law, Statewide News
Attorney General Curtis Hill is suing credit agency Equifax over a 2017 data breach that exposed the private information of nearly 4 million Hoosiers. (Brandon Smith/IPB News)
Attorney General Curtis Hill is suing credit agency Equifax over a 2017 data breach that exposed the private information of nearly 4 million Hoosiers. (Brandon Smith/IPB News)

Indiana Attorney General Curtis Hill announced Monday the state is suing credit agency Equifax.

The suit follows an investigation into a 2017 data breach that compromised the private information of nearly 4 million Hoosiers.

Hill says he’s suing in part because that breach was preventable.

“Long before they got hit by cyber attackers in 2017, it is our contention that Equifax knew full well that they had gaping holes in their cybersecurity systems,” Hill says.

Hill says part of the suit seeks to force Equifax to fix its ongoing security issues. And Consumer Protection Division Director Betsy DeNardi says the state also wants to get help for victims of the breach.

“It’s our contention that Equifax should repay those Hoosiers for the credit monitoring services that they paid for,” DeNardi says.

Two other states – Massachusetts and West Virginia – similarly filed lawsuits against Equifax over the 2017 breach.