AXA HIT WITH RANSOMWARE ATTACK IN ASIA

The Asian operations of French insurer Axa have been hit with a “targeted ransomware attack”, according to media reports. According to the Financial Times, cyber criminals using ransomware called Avaddon claimed on Saturday that they had hacked the group’s Asia operations and stolen three terabytes of data, including personal information on customers. On Sunday, Reuters reported that Axa had confirmed that its Asia Assistance operations in Thailand, Malaysia, Hong Kong and the Philippines were hit by a ransomware attack and that data had been compromised. Axa said: “[if] sensitive data of any individuals have been affected, the necessary steps will be taken to notify and support all corporate clients and individuals impacted”. Last week, Axa said it would stop paying ransomware demands in France under its cyber insurance policies.