Aflac describes the event as a component of a cybercrime campaign targeting the insurance sector and claims to have discovered suspicious activity on its network in the United States that could affect Social Security numbers and other personal data.
On Friday, the business said that the infiltration was halted in a matter of hours.
According to a statement from Aflac, “We can underwrite policies, review claims, and continue to serve our customers as usual while we respond to this incident.”
The business stated that it is still in the early phases of investigating the issue and is unable to ascertain the precise number of people impacted.
Potentially compromised files, according to Aflac Inc., include Social Security numbers, health information, claims information, and other personal data pertaining to clients, beneficiaries, staff members, agents, and other people involved in the company’s operations in the United States.
The Columbus, Georgia-based business announced that anyone who phones its call center will receive free credit monitoring, identity theft protection, and Medical Shield for a period of 24 months.
Although cyberattacks on businesses have been common for years, a series of attacks on retail businesses have brought attention to the problem because the breaches may affect consumers.
Earlier this month, United Natural Foods, a wholesale distributor that supplies Whole Foods and other grocery stores, announced that a system breach was preventing it from fulfilling orders, leaving many locations without specific items.
After hackers targeted the British clothes, home goods, and food company, customers in the United Kingdom were unable to place orders on the Marks & Spencer online for over six weeks and had fewer selections while they were in-store. Additionally, several supermarkets had empty shelves as a result of a cyberattack on the UK grocery chain Co-op.
Last month, Victoria’s Secret discovered a security vulnerability that caused the well-known lingerie retailer to stop some in-store operations and take down its U.S. website for over four days. Later, Victoria’s Secret revealed that the issue also affected its corporate systems, which led to a delay in the company’s first-quarter earnings announcement.
According to The North Face, in April, they found a small-scale credential stuffing attack on their website. The company stated that the problem, which affected 1,500 customers, was promptly contained and that no credit card information was compromised.
Adidas revealed last month that a third-party customer service provider had given some data—mostly contact information—to an unauthorized external party.
