Experian hack raises doubts about security of credit database, advocates say

Letter calls for investigation and asks 'what's the difference in security measures' that allowed supposedly limited access to database of 200 million people

Dozens of consumer privacy groups are calling for a US Federal Trade Commission (FTC) investigation into the data breach at credit agency and data broker Experian, saying that intrusions into other parts of the company's data "would be a terrifying and unmitigated disaster".

In a letter from the US Public Interest Research Group (PIRG) co-signed by 25 different data security and consumer advocacy organizations, the groups publicly questioned Experian's assertion that its consumer credit database of 200 million people was safe from thieves.