Aflac caught in string of cyberattacks on insurers
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.
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