Image by DC Studio, from Freepik

Hackers Stole Data Of Over 5,000 Individuals From Globe Life

• Written by Kiara Fabbri Former Tech News Writer
• Fact-Checked by Justyn Newman Former Lead Cybersecurity Editor

In a Rush? Here are the Quick Facts!

• Stolen data includes names, contact details, and Social Security numbers.
• The company says no financial data, like credit card information, was compromised.
• Globe Life’s operations remain unaffected despite the ongoing investigation.

Globe Life, an insurance company, is facing an extortion attempt after hackers stole data on over 5,000 individuals from one of its subsidiaries. The company informed the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) that it has reported the incident to federal law enforcement.

So far, the investigation suggests that the compromised data may include personal information of about 5,000 individuals linked to the company’s subsidiary, American Income Life Insurance.

This data includes names, contact details, Social Security numbers, and health-related information, but no financial data like credit card or banking information has been found. The threat actor has also shared limited information with short sellers and attorneys, claiming to have more data, which is still under investigation.

Globe Life warned that the full scope of information possessed by the threat actor has not been fully verified. The Texas-based insurance giant said the extortion attempts did not involve ransomware or any cyberattack that disrupted company operations.

The demands from the hackers remain unknown, and Globe Life declined to respond to questions from TechCrunch and The Record .

The company plans to notify affected individuals, take protective measures, and continue working with regulators. As of now, Globe Life believes the incident hasn’t significantly impacted its operations or financial health.

Globe Life previously reported a data breach on June 13 after identifying a compromise during a review of vulnerabilities related to access permissions and user identity management for its web portal, noted Bleeping Computer (BC).

The company warned that hackers might have accessed consumer and policyholder data through the breach of one of the portals, said BC.

While the breach didn’t significantly disrupt operations, there were concerns about the potential exposure of data, which could impact millions, notes BC.

This recent extortion attempt highlights the growing threat of cyberattacks targeting sensitive data across industries. This is particularly concerning in the insurance sector, where personal information is a prime target.

Image by cottonbro studio, from Pexels

Porn Sites Blocked By French Court Over Lack Of Age Verification

• Written by Kiara Fabbri Former Tech News Writer
• Fact-Checked by Justyn Newman Former Lead Cybersecurity Editor

In a Rush? Here are the Quick Facts!

• The Paris Court ordered blocks on Xhamster and Tukif for lacking age verification.
• Websites have 15 days to implement age controls or face extended blocks.
• Research shows 2.3 million minors in France visit pornographic sites monthly.

The Paris Court of Appeal has ordered the full blocking of several pornographic websites, including Xhamster and Tukif, due to their failure to implement solid age verification systems. The ruling, issued today, is intended as a major step in protecting minors from accessing adult content online, as reported by Politico .

The court’s decision emphasized the importance of protecting children, stating that children’s general interest is “an overriding consideration which may justify infringement of other rights such as freedom of expression or communication,” Politico reported.

The court further stated, “Giving priority to the protection of the private lives of adult consumers, by ruling out age verification, is incompatible with the protection of minors.”

Justine Atlan, managing director of e-Enfance, one of the two associations that supported the plaintiffs, called it “a landmark decision.” According to Atlan, the websites have 15 days to implement effective age controls, or the blocks will be extended until such systems are in place, as reported by Politico.

This case follows broader efforts by French authorities to enforce stricter online content regulations. Indeed, the French audiovisual regulator, Arcom , has been given the authority to implement age-gating rules under the Law to Secure and Regulate the Digital Space, which came into force in May 2024, as reported yesterday by Verifymy .

This law mandates that websites offering pornographic content must implement effective age verification systems to prevent minors from accessing their material.

Arcom’s document specifies the “minimum technical requirements applicable to age verification systems set up to access services broadcasting pornographic content,” as noted by Verifymy.

The guidelines further reinforce Arcom’s right to “sanction and administratively block pornographic sites that do not comply with their criminal obligation to prevent minors from accessing their content.”

This ruling could signal a broader shift toward prioritizing child protection in digital regulations across Europe. Advocates argue that with the increasing number of minors accessing adult content, the case for stringent measures is undeniable, as reported by Verifymy.

They believe robust and well-implemented age verification systems could provide a crucial layer of protection for children, which has been missing from the digital landscape, noted by Verifymy.

However, on the other side, this ruling raises concerns about freedom of expression and privacy. Critics argue that blocking access to websites over age verification issues could be seen as overreach, restricting the freedom of adult consumers to access legal content.

Moreover, the enforcement of age-gating could pose privacy risks for adult users, who may be required to provide personal information, creating potential vulnerabilities in terms of data protection.