Preliminary data probe into Experian

The data protection commissioner has lodged a preliminary inquiry into the workings of Dublin-headquartered credit information company, Experian.

The London-listed group is ranked as the world’s largest credit checking business — employing 17,000 people across 44 countries. The inquiry is based on reports that its global database has been hacked on a minimum of 80 separate occasions, leading to nearly 15,500 individual credit reports being stolen.

Although the cases are understood to be solely related to a small number of the group’s clientele based in the US, the Data Protection Commissioner is eager to see if the issue has any implications for Ireland.

The office confirmed yesterday it has written to Experian seeking clarification on the issues reported, but stressed no formal investigation has been launched.

According to a spokesperson: “Until such point as we have received a reply and assessed if there are any implications, from an Irish data protection perspective, we cannot advise what further actions may be required or taken by this office.”

“As these are preliminary inquiries only, we would not term it a formal investigation by this office as of yet.”

While Experian made no comment on the Irish inquiry, other than to say it has “an ongoing dialogue with regulators in many jurisdictions and always co-operates fully with them,” the Data Commissioners has claimed that it hasn’t, as yet, received any reports from Experian as to any breaches in Ireland.

An Experian spokesperson did say however: “The issue is solely related to isolated security issues experienced by a small number of our clients in North America, involving US consumers under US data protection jurisdiction.”