The major insurance provider Aflac Inc. disclosed on Friday that it had suffered a significant cybersecurity breach. This specific cyberattack was discovered just last week and was thankfully stopped within only a matter of hours. Aflac has stated that its business remains fully operational and its systems were not affected by any ransomware. The company is now the largest known victim in a growing cybercrime campaign against the entire insurance sector.
It remains unclear whether any customer data, such as Social Security numbers or health information, was actually stolen.
However, Aflac identified suspicious activity that may indeed impact Social Security numbers and other important personal information. The company said that it is still in the early stages of a thorough review of the entire incident. It will offer free credit monitoring and identity theft protection for twenty-four months to anyone who calls.
Aflac stated this attack was caused by a sophisticated cybercrime group that is currently targeting insurance companies. Two other prominent insurance firms, Erie Insurance and Philadelphia Insurance Companies, suffered very similar hacks earlier in June. This pattern strongly suggests a coordinated and widespread campaign is underway against the entire United States insurance industry.
The criminals appear to be well-organized and are specifically targeting companies that hold large amounts of sensitive data.
Cyberattacks against major companies have been rampant for years, but a recent string of attacks has raised awareness. United Natural Foods said a breach of its systems was disrupting its ability to fulfill customer orders. A cyberattack on the U.K. grocery chain Co-op also led to many empty shelves in some of its stores. A security breach at Victoria’s Secret led the popular lingerie seller to shut down its U.S. shopping site.
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