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You might not think about this, but identity thieves really want your child’s Social Security number. If they get this number, they can do a lot, including buying a car, renting an apartment, opening a credit card account, or getting a mortgage. The Social Security numbers of children are great for the bad guys for several reasons:

• Generally, children have a clean record
• Crooks can use these numbers to obtain credit
• Kids usually don’t check out their credit reports until they go to college or buy a

As I watch the Equifax scandal unfold, it becomes clear to me that many are at a loss of what to do, or even how to think about this data breach. The first reaction people have is centered on if they, their friends, or family were personally impacted. Rightfully so. For some advice on what you can do to protect your identity, read my recent blog, Equifax Data Breach: How to Protect Yourself.

In addition to the personal reaction, however, I would call on all employers to consider how this breach,

As the CEO of a risk management company, I think critically about data breaches all the time. Every day we are working to make sure our clients have the means to protect themselves, their customers, their employees, and their communities. We help them manage all kinds of risks: competition, goal achievement, vendors, regulation changes, and of course, data theft.

In the recent Equifax data breach, hackers gained access to 143 million consumer names, addresses, Social Security numbers, birth dates

On September 7, big-three credit reporting company Equifax reported that hackers gained access to the personal information of about 143 million U.S. consumers. This scandal will be bigger than the Wells Fargo, BP, Chipotle, Volkswagen and Bernie Madoff scandals combined.

The Equifax breach is unprecedented in both quantity and quality. It is second to none in terms of how many Social Security numbers were compromised, dwarfing all preceding attacks 10 to 1. But more importantly, this attack is un