At hearing, Senators slam Equifax, Marriott executives for massive data breaches

Members of the Senate Permanent Subcommittee on Investigations sharply rebuked Equifax and Marriott for failing to protect people’s personal data and prevent two of the largest security breaches in US history, putting hundreds of millions at risk. Democrats and Republicans alike said Equifax, a credit-reporting bureau, and Marriott, a hotel chain, each had failed to implement basic defenses against sophisticated hackers -- and that Equifax repeatedly did not patch known security holes or store key data in a way that was hidden from digital malefactors. Lawmakers expressed interest in reviving long-stalled data-security legislation that’d require companies to better secure consumers’ data and more swiftly communicate with consumers about major cyber attacks.