Personal data of 5,400 AXA Singapore customers exposed in cyberattack

Personal data of 5,400 AXA Singapore customers exposed in cyberattack

07 Sep 2017 07:54PM (Updated: 07 Sep 2017 09:36PM)

SINGAPORE: The personal data of 5,400 AXA Insurance customers in Singapore was compromised in a cyberattack, according to an email the firm sent to affected customers.

In the email shared with Channel NewsAsia on Thursday (Sep 7), AXA data protection officer Eric Lelyon wrote that the stolen data included the email addresses, mobile numbers, insurance policy numbers and dates of birth of both past and present customers from its Our Health Portal.

No other personal data - such as the name, NRIC number, address, credit card, bank details, health status, claims history or marital status of customers - was stolen, he added.

Mr Lelyon wrote that "no further action" was required from affected customers as the information that was compromised was "not likely to, on its own, expose you to identity theft".

He warned customers, however, to be vigilant against phishing attempts for other personal details that could be linked to the cyber attack.

"In the unlikely event you feel that you may have inadvertently disclosed personal data as a result of a phishing attempt in the last few months, it is possible that this could be connected to this hacking incident, and if so, we urge you to file a police report. We also request that you reach out to us to let us know the details," Mr Lelyon wrote.

The French insurance company is taking the incident "very seriously" and has "taken all remedial actions to secure our Health Portal and to prevent a recurrence", he stated.

The firm has also filed a police report and is working closely with authorities, he added.

"We apologise to all our customers impacted by this incident. We wish to assure our customers that our Health Portal is now secure," said CEO of AXA Singapore, Jean Drouffe in a statement. "A thorough review of our IT systems is underway."

He added that most of the affected customers have been notified and that all remaining affected customers will be informed by Friday.

In response to Channel NewsAsia's queries, a spokesperson from the Monetary Authority of Singapore (MAS) said the authority has asked AXA to "initiate a thorough review of its IT security and to remediate control gaps".

"We understand that AXA has taken steps to address the vulnerability in its Health Portal. MAS takes a serious view of this incident and is investigating the matter," the spokesperson added.

Last year, the personal data of 7,794 Aviva policyholders and their dependents was also breached when a printing firm hired by the insurance company sent out erroneous annual premium statements. The firm, Toh-Shi Printing Singapore, was fined S$25,000 by the Personal Data Protection Commission Singapore.

Source: CNA/mz
Read more at http://www.channelnewsasia.com/news/singapore/personal-data-of-5-400-axa-singapore-customers-exposed-in-9194674




- wong chee tat :)

Room for growth in Asia's insurance market

Room for growth in Asia's insurance market
By Millet Enriquez | Posted: 18 July 2011 2306 hrs

SINGAPORE: Asia's insurance market is still largely untapped and industry players must continue to develop talents and understand the risks in the market.

That's according to Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Finance and Manpower Tharman Shanmugaratnam who spoke at the launch of the new offices of French insurer AXA on Monday.

While Asia's insurance premiums are expected to grow 10 per cent yearly, the minister said longevity, environmental and socio-economic risks are also rising.

French insurer AXA is keen to expand its business in Singapore and Asia.

As part of its growth plans, AXA unveiled its new offices that will house more than 600 of its staff in general and life insurance. Located at 8 Shenton Way, the AXA Tower stands 235 metres with 52 storeys.

AXA is also looking to grow its 2 per cent share in the life insurance market currently dominated by Prudential and AIA in Singapore.

John Dacey, AXA group vice chairman for Asia Pacific, said: "We think we can be the top three players in Singapore life insurance market in the long term.

"We are not there today and we would like to become there. I think in general insurance, we are already towards the top."

AXA commands a 9.5 per cent market share in general insurance with health, cargo and motor as its main products.

For its expansion in Singapore, AXA plans to grow its advisers to 1,000 by 2012.

It will seek partnership to expand its life insurance market and launch new products that offer financial protection and disability and death benefits.

Last year, the life insurance industry saw around S$1.6 billion worth of new business premiums, according to data from the central bank and the trade industry - growing 16 per cent on-year from S$1.4 billion in 2009.

Still, industry studies show most Singaporeans are under-insured.

AXA is also focused on building its presence in Asia, where insurance premiums are expected to grow 17 per cent to US$957 billion in 2015.

But it must be prepared to face the challenges.

Mr Tharman said:"What's important for us is to position ourselves to take advantage of this, not just from the point of view of grabbing business because it's out there and growing.

"Take advantage of it by deepening skills and capabilities so as to develop better solutions for Asia going forward. Developing your people is critical and investing in research is equally critical."

So far, Indonesia and Thailand are AXA's key Asian markets for life insurance where it enjoys market share of 16 and 6 to 7 per cent, respectively.

- CNA/ck

- wong chee tat :)