Scattered Spider Aims at US Insurers After UK Retail Hit, Google Warns

Scattered Spider targets US insurance firms after UK retail attacks, using social engineering to breach help desks and disrupt services, Google warns.

A hacker group known for high-profile attacks on retail giants is now turning its attention to the insurance sector, according to a new warning from Google’s Threat Intelligence Group. The group, known as Scattered Spider, has been linked to a series of recent cyber attacks that disrupted access for insurance customers across the United States.

The alert follows a series of data breaches at major UK retailers earlier this year. After that wave of attacks, Google analysts noted that Scattered Spider had begun targeting US-based retailers. Now, researchers say the group is showing a clear interest in insurance firms and is actively exploiting their workforce through social engineering.

Focused Targeting, Familiar Tactics

“Actors that bear the hallmarks of Scattered Spider are now targeting the insurance industry, they ...