PwC has confirmed a cybersecurity incident involving a third-party vendor used to host company employee learning records, the firm said on October 23. The confirmation came a day after a cyber extortion group claimed to have stolen 590 gigabytes of company data.
PwC logo (Credits: Insurance Journal)
A PwC global spokesperson said the affected site does not house client data, sensitive personal data or financial information. The firm said it acted promptly to secure the environment and conduct a thorough review once it learned of the incident.
PwC Says Incident Does Not Impact Its Network or Operations
According to the spokesperson, the incident does not impact PwC’s network or any of its operations. That distinction matters: the breach appears confined to a vendor-hosted learning platform rather than the firm’s core systems, though the investigation is ongoing.
PwC declined to comment on the amount of data stolen or the veracity of the hacking group’s claims, leaving the extortion group’s account unverified by the firm itself.
Everest Extortion Group Claims 590 Gigabytes of PwC Data
A cyber extortion group called Everest claimed responsibility for the breach in a message posted to its website on October 22, according to cybercrime research platform eCrime.ch. The message included a countdown timer with five days remaining and indicated the data would be released if a deal could not be reached.
Everest claimed the stolen data included regional HR and learning exports, integration documentation, software components and PwC e-learning courses. The group said the data contains information about individuals and their organizational and employment history, including names, email addresses, telephone numbers, addresses and other details.
The incident is a reminder of how third-party vendors have become a major route into large firms: even when a company’s own network stays secure, a supplier’s platform can expose employee records. PwC says its review continues, and the countdown attached to the extortion claim adds pressure for a resolution.
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Source: Insurance Journal — read the full story there.