Criticism of Equifax data breach response mounts

Lawmakers and regulators joined the chorus, scrutinising the company's follow-up as it encouraged potential victims to sign up for free credit monitoring services.

Equifax Inc faced a storm of criticism on Friday over a hack that may have compromised personal data for some 143 million Americans, with consumers clamouring for answers and cyber security experts questioning the response to the massive breach. 

Lawmakers and regulators joined the chorus, scrutinising the company's follow-up as it encouraged potential victims to sign up for free credit monitoring services. Equifax shares tumbled as much as 18%, the biggest one-day drop in 16 years, as complaints mounted that the company's online and phone support systems were either broken or insufficient.