Cybercriminals breach Aflac as part of hacking spree against US insurance industry


Cybercriminals have breached insurance giant Aflac, potentially stealing Social Security numbers, insurance claims and health information, the company said Friday, the latest in a spree of hacks against the insurance industry.

With billions of dollars in annual revenue and tens of millions of customers, Aflac is the biggest victim yet in the ongoing digital assault on US insurance companies that has the industry on edge and the FBI and private cyber experts scrambling to contain the fallout. Erie Insurance and Philadelphia Insurance Companies have also reported hacks this month, which in those cases have caused widespread disruptions to IT systems used to serve customers. All three insurance-company hacks are consistent with the techniques of a young and rampant cybercrime group known as Scattered Spider, people familiar the investigation tell CNN.

Read more…
Source: CNN News


Sign up for our Newsletter
The latest news and insights delivered right to your inbox.


Related:

  • US to attack cyber criminals first, ask questions later – if it protects victims

    February 21, 2022

    The United States Department of Justice (DoJ) has revealed new policies that may see it undertake pre-emptive action against cyber threats. Revealed last week by deputy attorney general Lisa O. Monaco, in a speech at the Munich Cyber Security Conference, the policy will see prosecutors, agents and analysts assess “whether to use disruptive actions against cyber ...

  • New phishing campaign targets Monzo online-banking customers

    February 20, 2022

    Users of Monzo, one of the UK’s most popular digital-only banking platforms, are being targeted by phishing messages supported by a growing network of malicious websites. Monzo is a 100% online banking platform with over four million customers and among the first to challenge the traditional financial managing system. The mobile-only platform offers a feature-rich app, debit ...

  • Cybercrime: Dark web carding forum users are getting worried after a string of shutdowns

    February 18, 2022

    Cybercriminals are getting spooked by the sudden disappearance of a number of prominent dark web marketplaces, leading some to wonder if time is up on their illegal, underground activities. Cybersecurity researchers at Digital Shadows have analysed activity on carding forums – dark web marketplaces where criminals buy and sell stolen credit card information and other personal ...

  • Interpol: Policing model needs to change with cybercrime

    February 17, 2022

    The digitalisation of the global workforce in the face of a pandemic has led criminals to upgrade their working model, and now law enforcement must too. Interpol cybercrime director Craig Jones set forward this idea at Acronis’s CyberFit Summit in Singapore on Thursday, dispelling the stereotype of a lone threat actor in a hoodie hunched over ...

  • FBI to form new cryptocurrency unit

    February 17, 2022

    The FBI is forming a new team dedicated to cryptocurrency, according to the Department of Justice (DOJ). The new team will work closely with the National Cryptocurrency Enforcement Team, the DOJ announced Thursday. Prosecutor Eun Young Choi, who has a background in cyber-related crimes, will serve as the National Cryptocurrency Enforcement Team’s first director. Read more… Source: The Hill  

  • SMS PVA Services’ Use of Infected Android Phones Reveals Flaws in SMS Verification

    February 15, 2022

    There has been an increase in short message service (SMS) phone-verified account (PVA) services in the last two years. SMS PVA services provide alternative mobile numbers that customers can use to register for online services and platforms. These types of services help circumvent the SMS verification mechanisms widely used by online platforms and services to ...