In a concerning development, a group of anonymous hackers is reportedly offering a compilation of 160 million customer information records from 23 Iranian insurance companies for sale, with an asking price of approximately $75,000.
The Iranian Leakage Tracking System (Leakfa) has authenticated the hackers’ claims, affirming that the compromised data originated from a breach within the infrastructure of Expert Information Technologists (Fanavaran) company.
The data being peddled on the dark web encompasses critical personal details such as names, national identification numbers, dates of birth, addresses, zip codes, and mobile phone numbers—comprising a trove of information potentially exploitable for identity forgery. The breach was initially reported by a Telegram channel back in August.
Since the initial revelation, Fanavaran, self-identified as the “largest information technology company in the insurance industry in Iran,” has taken measures to restrict internet access to its website.
Mehdi Imanimehr, Deputy Chief Executive Officer of Fanavaran, questioned the veracity of the hacking allegations in an interview with the Digiato website. While expressing skepticism, Imanimehr underscored his lack of legal authority to comment definitively on the matter.
Contradicting the initial denial of the hack by Iran’s Central Insurance Company (CIC), a regulatory body overseeing the Iranian insurance industry, the Economy Minister dismissed CIC’s head, Majid Behzadpour, in September. Ali Ostad Hashemi has since assumed the role, a move met with significant criticism from insurance activists, according to reports from Etemad News.
Critics argue that Ostad Hashemi, an ally of the Economy Minister, lacks pertinent job experience in the insurance sector. Furthermore, the Supreme Audit Court of Iran has deemed his dual-role appointment unlawful, as he holds another position concurrently, as reported by Etemad in September.
The ongoing changes within government-owned insurance companies during the current administration, which commenced in 2021, have been marked by a series of modifications as challenges persist within the industry.
