Ask HN: Why doesn't Equifax, and services like that offer 2FA?

#1

Post by o_s_m » Mon, Aug 31, 2015, 7:27 PM UTC

I'm surprised the credit agencies do not offer two factor authentication.

Re: Ask HN: Why doesn't Equifax, and services like that offer 2FA?

#2

Post by smt88 » Mon, Aug 31, 2015, 7:53 PM UTC

Because they're idiots and also because they haven't had a huge breach yet.

Re: Ask HN: Why doesn't Equifax, and services like that offer 2FA?

#3

Post by dpeck » Mon, Aug 31, 2015, 8:02 PM UTC

They aren't really in the business of limiting access to your credit report, thats just a bug in the system that they have to work around.

Their value revolves around keeping and generating reports on your credit history to sell to people asking. What incentive is there to put in more restrictions on access?

Re: Ask HN: Why doesn't Equifax, and services like that offer 2FA?

#4

Post by Someone1234 » Tue, Sep 01, 2015, 2:05 PM UTC

Credit agencies are in a monopolistic position, end users are the product not the customer. There have absolutely no reason to be less terrible than they are.

Re: Ask HN: Why doesn't Equifax, and services like that offer 2FA?

#5

Post by dragonwriter » Tue, Sep 01, 2015, 2:11 PM UTC

dpeck wrote: post #3

They aren't really in the business of limiting access to your credit report, thats just a bug in the system that they have to work around. Their value revolves around keeping and generating reports on your credit history to sell to people asking. What incentive is there to put in more restrictions on access?

> They aren't really in the business of limiting access to your credit report

That's exactly the business they are in: limiting access to your credit report to people that have paid them for that access.

> Their value revolves around keeping and generating reports on your credit history to sell to people asking. What incentive is there to put in more restrictions on access?

Unauthorized access is people getting their product without paying for it.