American insurance company Globe Life says hackers attempted to blackmail it and demanded money in exchange for not publishing datathat had been stolen from the company's systems several months ago.
Global Life had disclosed a data breach on June 13.The breach was discovered when the company was looking for potential vulnerabilities in access and user identity management on its web portal.
At the time, the company warned that hackers may have had access to consumer data.
See also: BianLian ransomware group threatens to leak BCHP files
Although the company's operations were not significantly affected, there was concern about what data might have been stolen and the number of people affected.
In a new filing with the SEC yesterday, Globe Life says at least 5,000 customers of its subsidiary, American Income Life Insurance Company, are affected. However, the investigation is ongoing, so that number could increase in the future.
Globe Life has now said that hackers tried to blackmail it into paying a ransom in exchange for not publishing the stolen data.
The data samples the company received from the attackers appear to be related to subsidiary American Income Life Insurance Company.
See also: Star Health data leak: Data of 31 million customers exposed via Telegram
The information stolen by cybercriminals includes the following types of data (varies by individual):
- Full names
- Email addresses
- Phone numbers
- Postal addresses
- Social Security Numbers
- Health-related data
- Policy information
Global Life also clarified that the extortion is not related to ransomware , so there was no data encryption .
As cyberattacks continue to become more frequent and sophisticated, it is important for organizations to prioritize cybersecurity and invest in advanced protection measures. Companies like Globe Life must recognize the importance of preventionwhen it comes to protecting sensitive data. This includes protocols security, conducting comprehensive risk assessments, and providing employees with appropriate trainingto recognize and avoid threats.
See also: USDoD: Hacker behind National Public Data breach arrested
Additionally, companies should have a robust incident response plan in place in the event of a breach or attempted attack. This can help them minimize the impact of an attack and quickly restore operations.
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Source: www.bleepingcomputer.com
