Hollard rejects hacking claim, points to MIP cyber breach

South African insurer Hollard has categorically denied allegations that its IT systems were hacked, instead attributing the breach to a cyber incident at third-party service provider MIP Holdings. A threat actor known as "The Gentlemen" claimed on the dark web that Hollard's systems had been compromised, but MIP Holdings has since confirmed the incident, which occurred in June.

MIP Holdings, which provides various technology services to insurers and other organizations, alerted affected parties following the breach, which involved personal information linked to customers of approximately 45 South African insurance companies. While MIP Holdings' core systems and policy-administration databases remained uncompromised, the attackers gained access to Jira, an FTP/SFTP platform, and obtained credentials from it.

The extent and nature of the data compromised are still under investigation by MIP Holdings. The cyber criminal group "The Gentlemen," which emerged in mid-2025, specializes in stealing sensitive data from company networks, encrypting victim files, and demanding ransoms in exchange for decryption. They operate under the threat of publishing stolen data online if their demands are not met.

Hollard stated that its proactive threat intelligence capabilities detected the claim made by "The Gentlemen" through its incident response processes. The insurer remains vigilant and will communicate any changes in their assessment promptly.