Violating cybercriminals can put your private customer data at risk
The AFLAC said Friday that cybercriminals have violated computer systems, potentially revealing some of the most personal data, including Social Security numbers and medical information, by an unknown number of Americans, marking the latest in a recent string of online attacks against insurers.
The Columbus, Georgia-based insurance provider detected suspicious activity on its US network, responded quickly, and said it was able to stop online intruders “within hours.” AFLAC added that its business remains operational and that its system is free from ransomware infection.
AFLAC is, so far, the newest and largest insurance company targeted by cybercriminals. Philadelphia Insurance and Erie Insurance This month, we were hit by a cyber attack and have not yet resumed full operation.
“The attack was caused by sophisticated cybercrime groups, as many insurance companies are experiencing now.” Aflac said in a statement Without providing details to support that claim. “This was part of a cybercrime campaign against the insurance industry.”
AFLAC said it is working with external cybersecurity experts to investigate violations. It is in the process of determining which of the files are potentially corrupted and how many people may have been affected. Files that may be affected include customer data such as Social Security Numbers, insurance claims, health information, and other personal information. The company said information about AFLAC employees, agents and other people involved in the US business could also be compromised.
The investigation is still in its early stages, but AFLAC said it appears that the attackers have gained access to the network through social engineering attacks. Instead of intruding on a computer system attacker, the attacker poses as authoritative people like executives and IT workers, ensuring that employees hand over legitimate login credentials.
John Hultquist, chief analyst at Google’s Threat Intelligence Group, said the recent attacks on insurers “have all the traits.” Scattered spider cybercrime grouphas been linked to famous attacks on financial services, telecommunications and Las Vegas casinos and hotels.
“Given the history of this actor focusing on the sector at once, the insurance industry must be on high alert, especially due to the social engineering schemes targeting their help desks and call centres,” Hultquist said in a statement.
It has not yet been determined exactly who was affected or how bad the damage will be, but AFLAC has taken the irregular step of already offering to provide free credit surveillance, identity theft protection and medical shield coverage for customers contacting the call centre at 855-361-0305 for 24 months.
AFLAC is the largest provider of health insurance in the United States, with a global customer base of around 50 million people.