Prudential Financial now says 2.5 million impacted by data breach
Who:
Prudential Financial, a global financial services company.
Over 2.5 million individuals whose personal information was compromised.
What:
Prudential Financial experienced a data breach on February 4, 2024, detected the following day.
The breach compromised administrative/user data and employee/contractor accounts.
Initially reported as affecting over 36,000 people, the impact has now been updated to 2,556,210 individuals.
Impact:
Personal Information Exposed: Names, driver's license numbers, and non-driver identification card numbers were stolen.
Scope and Scale: The breach affected a significantly larger number of people than initially reported.
Security Measures: Prudential has worked with cybersecurity experts to confirm that the unauthorized third party no longer has access to their systems.
Ransomware Gang Involvement: The ALPHV/BlackCat ransomware gang claimed responsibility for the attack.
Financial and Reputational Damage: As the second-largest life insurance company in the U.S. with reported revenues of over $50 billion in 2023, the breach could have significant financial and reputational consequences.
Broader Context:
Previous Breaches: In May 2023, 320,000 Prudential customers' information was exposed due to a hack on a third-party vendor, highlighting ongoing cybersecurity challenges for the company.
Cybercrime Trends: The ALPHV/BlackCat gang has been linked to over 60 breaches worldwide and has raked in at least $300 million from over 1,000 victims, underscoring the widespread impact and profitability of such cybercrime operations.
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