Hackers Breach Allianz Life, Compromising Social Security Numbers

Earlier this month, cybercriminals breached U.S. insurance giant Allianz Life, compromising a significant number of customer Social Security numbers, as disclosed in notifications sent to various U.S. states and examined by TechCrunch.

Allianz Life reported the incident that took place on July 16, confirming to TechCrunch that the unidentified attackers accessed the personally identifiable information of the “majority” of its 1.4 million customers, along with some financial professionals and employees.

The company indicated that its customer relationship database was affected due to a social engineering attack. This method involves malicious hackers employing deceptive tactics, such as posing as employees who have lost their passwords, to trick helpdesks into granting access to systems or networks.

In a recent filing with the Texas attorney general, Allianz Life reported that the hackers accessed names, dates of birth, postal addresses, and Social Security numbers from its database. A separate filing to the Massachusetts attorney general’s office similarly confirmed that Social Security numbers were compromised during the breach.

When reached via email, Allianz Life spokesperson Brett Weinberg acknowledged the type of personal data that was stolen during the breach but chose not to disclose this information to TechCrunch.

The spokesperson mentioned that Allianz Life intends to begin notifying affected individuals by August 1.

“The letters will include specific details pertinent to impacted individuals, such as the type of data that may have been compromised,” the spokesperson added.

Allianz Life now joins a growing roster of insurance firms, including Aflac and Erie, that have faced breaches in recent weeks, as various hacking groups known for social engineering attacks ramp up their cyber activities.

Do you have additional information regarding the Allianz Life cyberattack? Are you an affected customer or employee? You can securely contact this reporter via encrypted message at zackwhittaker.1337 on Signal.

Updated with further comments from Allianz Life.