
Aflac hacked: Social Security numbers, claims, and health data at risk in insurance firm cyberattack
The cyberattack, which was first identified by the company June 12, was stopped within a few hours and business operations were not impacted. However, the number of Aflac insurance-holders affected by the breach is still unknown. Files containing personal information, such as Social Security numbers, health information, and insurance claims information, could have been compromised during the attack, the company said.
'We regret that this incident occurred,' the company wrote in a statement. 'We will be working to keep our stakeholders informed as we learn more and continue investigating the incident.'
During the investigation, Aflac is offering credit monitoring, identity theft protection, and a two year Medical Shield policy for free to any customers who call their incident-dedicated call center.
The company suspects social engineering helped the cybercrime group infiltrate its networks. Social engineering—which includes tactics like phishing emails—involves deceiving a victim into revealing personal information or providing access into otherwise secure systems.
Aflac is only the latest insurance company impacted by these cybersecurity incidents. Erie Insurance and Philadelphia Insurance Companies issued statements about similar cyberattacks earlier this week, exposing a growing threat to the insurance industry.
The insurance industry is a recent target of a cybercrime group called Scattered Spider, John Hultquist, chief analyst of Google's threat intelligence group, shared Monday on X.
Scattered Spider, also known as UNC3944, is reportedly a group of hackers who target large organizations primarily in English-speaking countries. The group previously gained attention targeting U.K. retailers, such as Marks & Spencer and Harrods.
To defend against attacks by Scattered Spider, Google's threat intelligence group suggests companies should educate employees about social engineering tactics and strengthen security measures, such as identity verification and authentication procedures.
Aflac did not immediately respond to a request for comment about which social engineering tactics were used in the attack and whether additional cybersecurity measures would be put in place to ward off future attacks.
After a 1.37% drop between the close of trading Wednesday and opening on Friday, Aflac's stock price is looking up as the dust settles following the incident.
Hashtags

Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles


Gizmodo
2 minutes ago
- Gizmodo
Amazon Clears Out This Anker 60,000mAh Power Bank for Nearly Free, Even Cheaper Than Prime Day
The Summer has a few weeks left, which means that there's still plenty of time to get outdoors and make the most of the nicer weather. That means you can go camping, or just enjoy a day trip to the beach, because for some of us, the weather's not going to last past September. If you want to do that while still enjoying some modern conveniences, then it's a good idea to get a portable power station to keep things charged up. Right now, you can get your hands on an amazing portable power bank from Anker with 41% off. That means that instead of the usual price of $150, it's down to just $88 while this discount lasts. We're not expecting this deal to last for very long though. See at Amazon A power station is a great way to keep a little bit of modern life in your return to the outdoors. For camping trips, that might mean electric lights and cooking, and for beach days, that could be just keeping your phone or Bluetooth speaker topped up. No matter what you're using it for, these can basically function as a few outlets outdoors, which can be amazing. The Anker Power Bank Power Station has a huge capacity of 60,000mAh, which means that you can comfortably charge your phones, tablets, laptops, and more with no issues at all. It has an 87W output too, which means that you can fast-charge many devices, making things a bit more efficient. There's also a smart digital display to help you keep an eye on how much power you have left, which is always useful, and it even has a retractable light which can help out a lot if things go later than you were expecting them too. If you're someone who happens to have a solar panel lying around, you can even use that to charge this power bank too. That means it can go even longer while outdoors, and helps it function as a solid backup option at home, just in case things go wrong with the mains. Sometimes it's just nice to know you've got something in reserve for if things go wrong. It's easy to understand why a lot of people would be happy to pay $150 for this amazing power station, so if the chance to save 41% on that is one that's not worth missing out on. Just be quick, because limited-time deals on Amazon don't stick around for long. See at Amazon


Entrepreneur
2 minutes ago
- Entrepreneur
Female Uber Riders Can Soon Request Female Drivers
Uber announces the launch of a new feature in some U.S. cities that will pair women drivers and riders. Uber is set to launch a new feature that will allow women riders and drivers to request trips that avoid being paired with men. According to CNBC, the rollout will begin in Los Angeles, San Francisco, and Detroit starting next month. "It's about giving women more choice, more control, and more comfort when they ride and drive," Camiel Irving, Uber's vice president of U.S. and Canada operations, said in a statement on Uber's site. "After hearing from women riders and drivers around the world, it was clear: Many want the option to match with other women. That's why we're proud to pilot Women Preferences in the U.S. for the first time ... It's about giving women more choice, more control, and more comfort when they ride and drive." Related: Uber CEO: Autonomous Vehicles Will Take Over Drivers Soon Here's how it will work for riders: Female riders can utilize an in-app option called Women Drivers, and can toggle back to all drivers if there are no women in the area. They can all set a preference for women drivers, which won't guarantee a female driver but will increase their chances of being matched. For pre-booked trips, women riders will be able to reserve a ride with a woman driver. Here's how it will work for drivers: Female drivers only have to toggle on the "Women Rider Preference" under settings in the Uber Driver app. Safety is a big concern for Uber and other rideshare app users, so it seems as though this will be a welcome function. However, the company made clear that being paired with a woman isn't guaranteed. Related: Uber's CEO Says Drivers Have About 10 Years Left Before They Will Be Replaced In 2019, Uber released a similar preference choice for Uber users and drivers in Saudi Arabia. In a statement, the Uber Team explained, "The launch of this unique feature comes on the back of Uber's Masaruky initiative that aims to increase women's participation in the workforce through access to affordable transportation, in addition to increasing women's access to flexible, part-time economic opportunities through the use of Uber technology." The program was a success and quickly expanded to 40 other countries. Join top CEOs, founders and operators at the Level Up conference to unlock strategies for scaling your business, boosting revenue and building sustainable success.


Entrepreneur
2 minutes ago
- Entrepreneur
Amazon Acquires Bee, Startup Behind Eavesdropping Wearable
Bee's core product is a $50 wristband that resembles a Fitbit and listens to everything you say. Amazon is making a push into AI devices with a new acquisition. Amazon confirmed to TechCrunch on Tuesday that it is planning to acquire San Francisco-based Bee, an AI wearable startup, but noted that the deal has not yet closed. Bee employees have received offers to join Amazon, an Amazon spokesperson told TechCrunch. The startup has between two to 10 employees listed on LinkedIn. Bee's core product is an AI bracelet that acts as a second memory, recording all of the conversations it hears to create summaries, reminders, and to-do lists for users. The $50 device, which resembles a Fitbit smartwatch, requires an additional $19 monthly subscription. Bee raised $7 million last year to develop the gadget, which can understand 40 languages and has a 7-day battery life. It is currently backordered due to high demand. Related: Samsung Is Looking into Making AI Necklaces, Earrings, and Other Wearables: 'All Kinds of Possibilities' Bee CEO Maria de Lourdes Zollo wrote in a LinkedIn post on Tuesday that she "couldn't be more excited" about the acquisition. "What began as a dream with an incredible team and community now finds a new home at Amazon," Zollo wrote. The acquisition is a sign of Amazon's intent to create AI wearables, a different path from the company's Alexa-enabled Echo speakers and home assistant products. Amazon has tried to enter the wearable device market before, with limited success. In 2020, Amazon began selling a health-tracking bracelet called Halo, which tracked activity, sleep, and body fat. By 2023, Amazon shut down the Halo device as part of a broader cost-cutting measure. Other companies are also looking into AI wearables, including ChatGPT-maker OpenAI, which acquired the startup io for $6.5 billion in May to further its work on consumer devices embedded with AI. Samsung is also considering developing AI devices that users can wear, like AI necklaces and earrings, the company indicated earlier this month. Meanwhile, Apple and Google are working on smart glasses to compete with Meta, which released a new version of its bestselling smart glasses in collaboration with Oakley last month. Related: Amazon Is Ending an Important Privacy Feature for Alexa Echo Devices By the End of the Month Bee's wearable poses security, privacy, and legal concerns, given that it records everything around it. Eleven U.S. states, including Massachusetts, Florida, and California, require the consent of everyone involved in a conversation before the interaction can be recorded. Bee's current privacy policies state that the company does not save, store, or use audio recordings for AI training, but it does store what the AI learns about the user. The startup has stated that it only plans to record the voices of people who have consented verbally to the recording, per TechCrunch. Bee is also working on a feature to automatically stop recording audio based on boundaries like topic and location that the user defines, per the outlet. Amazon has previously come under scrutiny for the way it handles user data. In 2022, Amazon provided videos from Ring personal security cameras to law enforcement without a warrant or user consent. In 2023, the Federal Trade Commission ordered Ring to pay $5.8 million in a settlement over claims that Ring employees could view footage from customer cameras for years.