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Insurance companies are like a goldmine for cyber crooks, seeing as they hold tons of juicy data and rake in major profits that can be held to ransom.
Via BleepingComputer
Now, AFLAC is quite the big deal in the US when it comes to offering extra insurance. Apparently, they were quick off the mark and shut down the intrusion in just a few hours. No ransomware business going on, thankfully.
So, AFLAC (American Family Life Assurance Company) has come out and said they’ve had a bit of a blip on their cyber radar. Yep, hackers managed to sneak into their network.
In the mix of potentially hit files are bits and bobs like claim deets, health records, social security digits, and other personal info linked to AFLAC’s customers, beneficiaries, staff, agents, and anyone else in their US operation. They’re still vouching to look after and support their clients, though.
Just so you know, AFLAC’s throwing out 24 months of free credit monitoring and ID theft protection for anyone who gives their hotline a buzz following the breach.
Although they haven’t quite nailed down where the breach came from or who’s to blame, all signs point towards a Scattered Spider attack. The mention of Scattered Spider might ring a bell for some folks out there, especially since they’re said to be the ones causing chaos for UK big shots like Marks and Spencer, Co-op, and even Harrods.
If you’ve got any AFLAC services up in the air (or if you’re feeling the burn of a data breach), be sure to be cautious about any odd communications. Watch out for those social engineering tricks, and maybe think about snagging yourself some top-notch identity theft protection software to stay safe.
AFLAC put out a statement saying, “This attack, much like what other insurance guys are facing, was cooked up by a top-notch cybercrime crew. It’s all part of their plan to mess with the insurance scene.”
Google’s jumped in, sounding the alarm that this group has set its sights on US firms, particularly in the insurance biz. They’re warning these companies about the potential threat of social engineering and credential stuffing attacks.
