Aflac caught in string of cyberattacks on insurers
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Aflac, a U.S. insurance provider that covers millions of policyholders, warned some of its customers' most sensitive data may have been stolen in a recent cyberattack.
Why it matters: Aflac warned that a "sophisticated cybercrime group" was behind the intrusion and said many insurance providers are currently battling the same group.
Driving the news: The insurance provider told investors in an SEC filing Friday that it detected unauthorized activity within hours on its networks on June 12.
- The incident didn't impact Aflac's operations and the company noted it also was not the victim of ransomware.
- Aflac said its initial investigation suggests that the hackers used social engineering techniques to gain access to the company's systems.
- From there, they likely stole an undetermined number of files from the systems, potentially including customers' claim information, health information, Social Security numbers and other highly sensitive personal details.
- Aflac is still investigating the scope of the breach and hired third-party investigators to assist in the matter.
Between the lines: A source familiar with the investigation told Axios that the characteristics of the attack are consistent with those of the English-speaking cybercriminal gang Scattered Spider.
- Google's cybersecurity experts warned earlier this week that the cybercriminal gang was turning its attention to the insurance sector after a month-long hacking spree against retailers.
- Those attacks presumably included one on United Natural Foods Inc. (UNFI), a major grocery supplier for Whole Foods and other co-ops across the U.S.
- Whole Foods faced product shortages for nearly a week as UNFI recovered from the incident.
What to watch: It's likely more insurance providers will also come forward about their own run-ins with the same cybercriminal group in the coming weeks.
