Federal Trade Commission provides tips for consumers worried about Equifax data breach

People who obtained a credit report are likely among the 143 million Americans whose personal information was exposed in a data breach at Equifax, the Federal Trade Commission said in an advisory for how consumers can protect themselves.

Equifax, one of the nation's three main credit reporting agencies, says the breach lasted from mid-May through July and hackers accessed people's names, Social Security numbers, birth dates and other information.

One of the first steps people can take is to visit Equifax's website and click on the “Potential Impact” tab to see if their information was likely exposed. Since people have to enter their last name and the last six digits of their Social Security number to make the check, the agency cautions them to visit the site on a private computer with updated software and verify that they have an encrypted network connection.

United States consumers can get a year of free credit monitoring from Equifax regardless of whether the company thinks their personal information was compromised, the FTC says.

The FTC site provides other steps consumers can take and Equifax provides more information online about the breach.

Brian Bowling is a Tribune-Review staff writer. Reach him at 724-850-1218, bbowling@tribweb.com or via Twitter @TribBrian.