Nearly 1.4 million people in the United States have had their personal information exposed in a recent cyberattack on the Allianz Life Insurance Company of North America.
The breach, which took place on July 16, was carried out through a third-party cloud-based customer management system. Hackers used social engineering (tricking people into giving away access) to break in : a method that has also been used in several other high-profile attacks on insurance and healthcare companies.
Allianz discovered the intrusion a day later, on July 17, and quickly notified federal authorities, including the FBI. The company has stressed that the attack only affected its U.S. branch and that its main systems and networks remain secure.
What information was stolen?
Allianz has not confirmed the exact types of data taken. However, life insurance records usually contain highly sensitive details such as Social Security numbers, birthdates, and financial information. In addition to customers, the data of financial advisors and some employees may also have been exposed.
At this stage, the attackers have not made ransom demands, and the company has not revealed who is behind the incident. Some cybersecurity experts believe the group Scattered Spider, known for targeting insurance firms with similar tactics, may be responsible.
Company response
Allianz says the secu
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