Prudential Financial, a leading global financial services company managing $1.4 trillion in assets, has confirmed a security breach in its network. Attackers successfully accessed employee and contractor data before being blocked from compromised systems.
What is Prudential Financial known for?
Last week, Prudential Financial suffered from a cyberattack and learned that the hackers compromised its systems one day earlier. The investigation into the data theft incident is currently ongoing.
Prudential Financial is ranked among Fortune 500 companies and offers insurance, retirement planning, and wealth management services to over 50 million customers worldwide. With 40,000 employees globally, the company reported revenues exceeding $50 billion in 2023.
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Prudential Financial Cyberattack
According to Bleeping Computer's report, the breach was detected on February 5, with unauthorized access occurring on February 4.
In some way, Prudential suspects the involvement of a cybercrime group. The company promptly filed an 8-K form with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission, notified law enforcement, and informed regulatory authorities.
Because of the alarming issue, an investigation is underway to determine the breach's full extent and potential impact. Prudential is assessing whether other information or systems on its network were compromised. As of now, there's no evidence of customer or client data exposure.
Minimal Operational Impact
Prudential reassures stakeholders that the breach has not materially impacted its operations or financial condition. However, the investigation remains ongoing to ensure the incident's containment and prevent future breaches.
Prior Security Incidents
In May 2023, over 320,000 Prudential customers were affected by a data exposure incident involving a third-party vendor, Pension Benefit Information (PBI). The breach occurred when the Clop cybercrime gang compromised PBI's file-sharing platform.
"Our investigation determined that the following types of information related to you were present in the server at the time of the event: name, address, date of birth, phone number, and Social Security number," PBI said.
Response from Prudential
Prudential Financial has yet to provide further details or comments on the recent breach. However, the company is determined to protect customer data as authorities investigate the matter.
In other news, experts warned that hackers are continuously targeting the healthcare sector nowadays. Security experts said hospitals and other healthcare facilities should carefully store patient data.
Right now, it's alarming to know that cybercriminals are infiltrating the vulnerable networks of hospitals in hopes of getting a coveted ransom.
Furthermore, it's also discovered that the hackers who target healthcare facilities usually come from Iran, Russia, and North Korea.
Considering that the extent of the damage is extreme to the healthcare industry, organizations should treat this with vigilance. If the attacks are not stopped, it might lead to the suspension of communications. When this happens, the medical records are at risk of being stolen, altered, or accessed by intruders.
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