Erie Insurance: Cyberattack behind service outage

Erie Insurance and its administrator, Erie Indemnity Company , have confirmed that a cyberattack is behind the recent severe outage of their platform .

Erie Indemnity Company operates Erie Insurance Group, one of the largest insurance providers in the U.S., with more than 6 million active policies. The company offers auto, home, life and business through a network of independent agents.

Since Saturday, June 7, thousands of customers have reported inability to access online portal , while experiencing problems submitting claims and receiving official documents.

See also: United Natural Foods: Problems due to cyberattack

In a filing with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission yesterday, Erie Indemnity revealed that on June 7, “unusual network activity” was detected, which triggered security incident response protocols. At the same time, in an official announcement on the Erie Insurance website, the company clarifies that its information security team reacted immediately, taking protective measures to ensure the security of its data and systems.

The company said it is working closely with authorities, while a thorough analysis is underway with the help of leading cybersecurity experts.

Cyberattack on Erie Insurance: Warning to avoid phishing

In the event of a cyberattack, businesses often immediately shut down their operations to limit the spread of the threat to other systems. However, this forced response comes with serious operational consequences, as critical services are suspended, affecting both customers and partners. Recovery from such an attack can take days or even weeks, depending on the severity of the incident.

Erie Insurance, which is still experiencing widespread outages following the June 7 cyberattack, is warning the public to be especially vigilant about suspicious communications.

See also: ConnectWise: State hackers behind the cyberattack?

In an announcement hosted on its website, the company clarifies that during the outage it will not send emails or make phone calls to customers for payment requests.

"best cybersecurity, we urge customers to avoid interacting with suspicious links and not share personal information over the phone or email," Erie said.

The scope, nature and impact of the attack remain under investigation, while there is currently no official information on whether this is a ransomware incident or whether there was a data breach.

In a statement to BleepingComputer, Erie Insurance noted that policyholders who wish to file a claim can contact their local agent or the First Notice of Loss team at (800) 367-3743. Customer service also remains available at (800) 458-0811.

See also: Hackers exploit top domains for cyberattacks

How can a modern company protect itself from cyberattacks?

• Implementing multi-layered security (defense-in-depth): Use of firewall, antivirus, IDS/IPS, and endpoint protection.
• Continuous software updates: Immediate installation of updates & patches for operating systems and applications.
• Staff training: Regular seminars on identifying phishing, social engineering and malicious actions.
• Strict access management: Least privilege policies and use of MFA (multi-factor authentication).
• Data encryption: Both in transit and in storage.
• Regular backups: Secure, isolated backups and restore tests.
• Establish security policies: Regulations and procedures for handling data and incidents.
• Security testing: Periodic penetration tests and vulnerability assessments.
• Information and Event Management (SIEM): For early detection and response to threats.
• Incident response plan: Preparation and exercise in attack scenarios for immediate response.

Source: www.bleepingcomputer.com