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SWIM used to have access to Equivax data from home. In the early 90s, you could log into Equifax, type in a strangers address, and get their credit history, so

SWIM used to have access to Equivax data from home. In the early 90s, you could log into Equifax, type in a strangers address, and get their credit history, social, bills, and prior addresses among other things. Access was through tymnet using an <account_id>+<password>. That is it. The account_id was a ~16 digit number. The password was a 1 alpha + 1 alphanumeric. In those days it was security through obscurity, so I presume. Get an account number and after 936, you are in. Given this recent breach has nothing to do with how Equivfax/CBI was run years ago, it does make me cringe a bit.

technofiend 9y ago
In the 80's it was even worse. A credit bureau was available on telenet (a simple dial up service that allowed terminal connections to services) and there was no password, just an account number. You could query any social security number and see joint account information by simply adding /ty-jp or something similar. This being the 80's, you'd see the needed credentials taped to monitors.
tr1ck5t3r 9y ago
Reading your comment reminded me of a similar system which gave access to phone numbers of people & businesses including non listed numbers. Still I have yet to see people realise that if you want to undermine a country's financial system, screw up their credit rating agency's. I dont believe Equifax when they say only certain data has been accessed, these are normalised databases, I suspect the CEO is bluffing or being very lenient with the true if they are only referring to one table/file and not the rest of the database, and thats if they even know just how much data has been accessed. These agency's share information between themselves so the knock on effect is all the credit rating agency's will probably have duff data if any of it has been changed. Still it could also be a back door way for the Central Banks to get money out into the economy if everyone can suddenly take out massive loans on the lowest interest rates known to man, because its not like the financial system in the West has ever recovered from the financial crisis in 2008, so when overt QE has failed, why not try some covert QE and blame it on the oh so spooky hackers.

technofiend 9y ago

In the 80's it was even worse. A credit bureau was available on telenet (a simple dial up service that allowed terminal connections to services) and there was no password, just an account number. You could query any social security number and see joint account information by simply adding /ty-jp or something similar. This being the 80's, you'd see the needed credentials taped to monitors.

tr1ck5t3r 9y ago

Reading your comment reminded me of a similar system which gave access to phone numbers of people & businesses including non listed numbers. Still I have yet to see people realise that if you want to undermine a country's financial system, screw up their credit rating agency's. I dont believe Equifax when they say only certain data has been accessed, these are normalised databases, I suspect the CEO is bluffing or being very lenient with the true if they are only referring to one table/file and not the rest of the database, and thats if they even know just how much data has been accessed. These agency's share information between themselves so the knock on effect is all the credit rating agency's will probably have duff data if any of it has been changed. Still it could also be a back door way for the Central Banks to get money out into the economy if everyone can suddenly take out massive loans on the lowest interest rates known to man, because its not like the financial system in the West has ever recovered from the financial crisis in 2008, so when overt QE has failed, why not try some covert QE and blame it on the oh so spooky hackers.