France’s Axa Insurance Company said in a statement on the 16th, its operations in Asia was attacked by ransomware, confirming the media’s previous reports.
The ransomware attack on Asia Assistance, an Axa affiliate, affected its IT operations in Thailand, Malaysia, Hong Kong, China and the Philippines, AFP reported, citing the statement.
In addition, the attack resulted in the disclosure of “certain data” processed by Inter Partners Asia, Axa’s subsidiary in Thailand. AXA will notify and provide support to all corporate and individual customers affected by the data breach.
The report did not mention the amount of ransom paid by Axa.
There have been a number of recent hacking attacks around the world, in which hackers used ransomware to encrypt and lock the computer systems of businesses or institutions in order to unlock them for ransom.
Hackers used ransomware to attack the computer systems of One of The Major U.S. Oil Pipeline Operators, The Colonier Pipeline Transportation Co., and steal classified documents, forcing the company to shut down a major pipeline for several days, greatly affecting fuel supplies on the East Coast of the United States.
In addition, the Irish Health Service Executive Board network system was hacked on the 14th, affecting the country’s hospital electronic systems and storage information.
