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Aflac Investigates Potential Data Breach Following Cyberattack

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Aflac, a health and life insurer, announced on Friday that it is investigating a cyberattack on its U.S. network that may have exposed customers’ personal data. The breach was detected on June 12 and is believed to have been conducted by the cybercrime group Scattered Spider, known for targeting multiple companies in the same industry through coordinated waves of attacks.

Scattered Spider, active since May 2022, is notorious for using identity-based tactics such as scamming help desks to reset credentials and bypass multi-factor authentication. This group has been linked to recent service disruptions at Philadelphia Insurance Companies and Erie Indemnity.

Aflac’s investigation is still in the early stages, and the insurer has not disclosed the number of affected customers or the timeline for completing the review. The company handles personal, medical, and financial data of over 50 million policyholders in the U.S. and Japan, including accident and pet insurance customers.

The attack potentially exposed sensitive information, including social security numbers and health details. Aflac reported that it stopped the intrusion within hours and has engaged third-party cybersecurity experts to assist with the investigation. Despite the breach, Aflac stated that it continues to operate normally while addressing the incident.

This attack follows a wave of cyber threats in the healthcare and insurance sectors, including a major breach last year of UnitedHealth’s Change unit by the hacking group ALPHV, also known as BlackCat.

India’s TCS Confirms No Systems Compromised in Marks & Spencer Cyberattack

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Tata Consultancy Services (TCS) stated that none of its systems or users were compromised in the recent cyberattack affecting British retailer Marks & Spencer (M&S), a client of over ten years.

At its annual shareholder meeting, independent director Keki Mistry said, “As no TCS systems or users were compromised, none of our other customers are impacted.” He added that the ongoing investigation into the M&S breach does not involve TCS systems.

This marks the first public comment from India’s largest IT services firm on the cyberattack. M&S did not immediately respond to requests for comment.

TCS provides technology services to M&S and secured a $1 billion contract in early 2023 to modernize the retailer’s legacy technology, focusing on supply chain and omnichannel sales improvements.

The cyberattack, disclosed by M&S in April, is described as “highly sophisticated and targeted.” It is expected to cost M&S approximately £300 million ($403 million) in lost operating profit, with online service disruptions anticipated until July.

Last month, the Financial Times reported that TCS was internally investigating whether its systems were used as a gateway for the cyberattack.

Mistry chaired the shareholder meeting, while Tata Group Chairman N Chandrasekaran was absent due to urgent matters related to a recent Air India plane crash in Ahmedabad, which killed 241 of the 242 passengers onboard.

Viasat Confirmed as Victim of Chinese Salt Typhoon Cyberespionage Campaign

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Satellite communications firm Viasat Inc has been identified as a victim of the Salt Typhoon cyberespionage operation linked to China during the 2024 U.S. presidential campaign, Bloomberg News reported on Tuesday, citing sources familiar with the investigation.

The breach was discovered earlier this year. Viasat, working alongside a government investigation and an independent cybersecurity partner, found evidence of unauthorized access through a compromised device but stated there was no evidence of customer data being affected.

“Viasat believes that the incident has been remediated and has not detected any recent activity related to this event,” the company said in a statement.

U.S. officials have previously accused Salt Typhoon hackers of breaching multiple telecom companies—including Verizon, AT&T, and Lumen—stealing sensitive telephone audio intercepts and extensive call records. In December, the government added a ninth unnamed telecom firm to the list of victims, revealing the hackers had broad network access to track millions of individuals and record phone calls.

Reportedly, Salt Typhoon targeted individuals connected to both major presidential campaigns, including those of Democrat Kamala Harris and Republican Donald Trump.

China has denied the allegations, labeling them as disinformation and asserting Beijing’s opposition to cyberattacks and cyber theft.