A cyberattack has left Asian units of AXA, a Paris-based insurance company, crippled, part of a wave of so-called ransomware breaches on company networks around the world. A ransomware hacker targeted Asia Assistance, also known as Inter Partners Assistance, in Thailand, Malaysia, Hong Kong, and the Philippines, AXA said Tuesday. The attackers were able to access certain data, which was not specified, in Thailand. There is no evidence the attacks infiltrated networks elsewhere. “A dedicated task force, with external forensic experts, is investigating the incident. Since the incident, systems have been restored and regulators and business partners have been informed,” the company added. AXA did not respond to an inquiry about whether any money had been paid to the attackers. Ransomware is a type of malicious software, or malware, that attacks use to freeze access to computer files, systems, or networks before demanding payment to unlock the data. Victims can …