Senator Cory Gardner (R-Colo.) questioned former Equifax CEO Richard Smith and Equifax interim-CEO Paulino do Rego Barros, Jr., about the company’s massive data breach at a Senate Commerce, Science, and Transportation Committee hearing.

Equifax said in September that hackers breached a flaw in their system, stealing names, Social Security numbers, birth dates, addresses and driver’s license numbers from as many as 145 million Americans. Since then, the company taken a $87.5 million hit stemming from the breach and now faces dozens of government investigations. Equifax reported Thursday that its third-quarter profits fell to $96.3 million; that’s down 27 percent from the same period last year.

At the committee hearing, Sen. Gardner asked why a company like Equifax can own a consumer’s personal data without explicit permission from the individual. Equifax’s new interim CEO admitted he does not know whether or not Equifax has encrypted their consumer data since the recent breach.

“Mr. Barros, can you tell me who owns the information that you provide to your clients, customers?” Gardner asked.

“According to the existing regulatory framework, we own the information,” Barros answered.

Gardner asked if people have the option to keep Equifax from owning or storing their personal information, to which Barros answered “no”.

Gardner continued to grill Barros, asking if he thought it was right that consumers have no control over their own information being sold to other companies through applications for lines of credit or bank loans. Barros said it was simply the standard under the current regulatory framework.

“I think it’s not my perspective to say it’s right or wrong,” Barros said.

Barros also confirmed during the hearing that there is no way to get Equifax to delete your file, and acknowledged to Gardner that he did not know whether the company’s stored data was encrypted for protection against hackers.

Equifax said in a regulatory filing Thursday that some corporate customers have delayed projects until the company can prove its data is secure.

Barros said in a statement, “We recognize that we have an important journey in front of us to regain the trust and confidence of consumers and our business customers.”

In addition to investigations from numerous regulatory and law enforcement agencies, Equifax said it has been hit with some 240 class-action lawsuits.

Colorado Attorney General Cynthia Coffman has joined 49 other state attorneys general in pressing Equifax for information, along with the Federal Trade Commission, Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, Securities and Exchange Commission, and government regulatory branches in Canada and Britain.

All 50 state attorneys general have demanded information, Equifax said, as have the Federal Trade Commission, the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, the Securities and Exchange Commission and regulators in Britain and Canada.

“This is a very serious data breach, and I understand that consumers are rightly concerned about any potential impact it may have on their lives,” Coffman said in September when the breach was exposed. “However, it is important to remember that even if a person’s information was a part of this breach, it does not mean that they will become the victim of identity theft. As we always tell consumers, vigilance is your best friend in these situations.”

The Attorney General advises consumers to take some simple steps when dealing with any data breach:

For more information on protecting yourself please visit the Identity Theft Center. If you believe you are a victim of identity theft call the toll free Colorado Bureau of Investigation 24 Hour Identity Theft & Fraud Hotline at 1-855-443-3489.