Erie Insurance: Cyberattack Caused Network Outage

A June 7 cyberattack has left Erie Insurance policyholders unable to access their online accounts, Erie’s parent company reported on June 11.

The outage has disabled Erie’s phone systems and prevented customers from contacting the insurer, filing claims, or managing billing issues.

The company submitted a Form 8-K filing with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission to report the June 7 “information security event.” The company also initiated its own incident response protocol.

“We took immediate action to respond to the situation to safeguard our systems and data,” the company said in its June 11 statement, adding the action included implementing safety protocols to safeguard existing systems.

The insurer is now working with law enforcement to determine the source of the attack. 

“We are working with law enforcement and conducting a comprehensive forensic analysis with the assistance of leading cybersecurity experts to gain a full understanding of the event,” said Matthew Cummings, spokesman for Erie Insurance.

Erie warns customers to be wary of scams

In light of the recent attack, Erie Insurance also cautioned customers against potential scams that could target them.

“During this outage, Erie Insurance will not call or email customers to request payments,” the company’s website reads. “As a best practice, do not click on any links from unknown sources or provide your personal information by phone or email,” Cummings added in the statement.

The insurer has more than six million active policies across its auto, business, home, and life offerings. It’s the 18th-largest U.S. property and casualty insurance company by market share, according to the National Association of Insurance Commissioners.

What’s next? Other insurers face attacks as well

Erie Insurance isn’t the only Pennsylvania insurer facing a network outage. Philadelphia Insurance, a 2,000-employee insurer based in the city of its namesake, also reported a network outage on the same day.

Philadelphia’s outage has knocked out phones and email, as well as customer online application access.

Cybersecurity experts believe an entity known as the Scattered Spider Group carried out the Philadelphia Insurance attack.

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