WHAT TO DO ABOUT THE EQUIFAX CREDIT BREACH

I'm really mad at Equifax for permitting 143 million credit accounts to be hacked.  I think they should be put out of business* for what they allowed, but what should we do?*  This is with us for the rest of our lives.

I've looked into putting a freeze on my credit accounts with the three big raters to protect fraudsters from accessing my credit.  What this means is that no new person or company can get my credit information to open a new credit account.  I'm told that existing creditors can still access the account.  You can do each online and don't need to write letters.  Yesterday I found that I could do TransUnion online** and did so.  Today, I have also done Experian*** and Equifax**** online   No charge here in North Carolina.  You have to put in a PIN to get in each company and you can temporarily undo the freeze if you are getting credit with a new company.  You can choose your PIN for TransUnion (6 numbers, can't start with a zero) and Experian (10 numbers, can start with zeros).  Equifax gives you a PIN.

You can also put a "lock" on your account, but I have not done so,.  I think there is a sizable monthly fee.  The following is taken from Experian (http://ficoforums.myfico.com/t5/General-Credit-Topics/Credit-lock-Credit-Freeze/td-p/50431550):

The ability to control who can access your Experian Credit Report is in your hands. With the touch of a button, you can lock your Report, keeping fraudsters and identity thieves away. If someone attempts to access your locked Report, you’ll be notified with a real time alert. When you want to apply for credit or financing, simply unlock your Report for the application process. Think of it as extra security for your credit.

When locked, your Experian Credit Report is NOT accessible to:

Banks and lenders that check your Credit Report for a credit or loan application.

Companies checking your Credit Report in order to open new utilities, cellular service or apartment rentals.
............................................................
Potential employers or insurance companies during the application process
Companies that have an existing credit relationship with you
Collection agencies acting on behalf of companies you may owe
Government agencies in connection to a Child Support claim
Personalized offers from Experian, such as credit card offers, if you choose to receive them
Companies providing pre-screened credit card offers. You can choose to opt out of these offers here.

* https://www.nytimes.com/2017/09/21/opinion/get-rid-of-equifax.html?mcubz=0
https://www.nytimes.com/2017/09/08/your-money/identity-theft/equifaxs-instructions-are-confusing-heres-what-to-do-now.html?mi_u=29112017&mi_user_hash=82b5c34fc3b831e6909d80ade6b5dffad7f9e9a9bcb8602dcac08732&_r=0
** https://www.transunion.com/credit-freeze/place-credit-freeze
*** http://www.experian.com/news/security-freeze.html
**** https://www.freeze.equifax.com/Freeze/jsp/SFF_PersonalIDInfo.jsp