UnitedHealth has confirmed a ransomware attack on its subsidiary Change Healthcare compromised the data of 190 million people.
This figure is nearly double the estimate of 100 million.
The company gave the new figure to TechCrunch last week and a spokesman said:
“The vast majority of those people have already been provided individual or substitute notice. The final number will be confirmed and filed with the Office for Civil Rights at a later date.”
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Sensitive Data Stolen
The cyberattack resulted in the theft of vast amounts of sensitive data, including:
- Personal information: Names, addresses, phone numbers, email addresses, and government ID documents (Social Security numbers, driver’s licenses, and passports).
- Medical data: Diagnoses, medications, test results, imaging, and treatment plans.
- Health insurance details: Policy numbers and coverage information.
- Financial records: Banking and payment information found in patient claims.
Despite the severity of the breach, UnitedHealth stated it has “not seen electronic medical record databases appear in the data during the analysis“ and has no evidence of misuse at this time.
Attack Disrupted Healthcare Nationwide
Change Healthcare is a key player in the US healthcare system. It processes a significant portion of medical claims and handling extensive patient records.
The February 2024 attack caused major outages, delaying payments to providers and disrupting care for patients nationwide.
UnitedHealth later admitted to paying at least two ransoms to prevent further leaks of stolen data.
The hackers had already published portions of the stolen information online before negotiations.
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How Hackers Gained Access
The breach has been linked to the ALPHV ransomware gang, a notorious Russian-language cybercrime group.
UnitedHealth CEO Andrew Witty testified before lawmakers, revealing the attackers gained entry through a stolen login credential that lacked multi-factor authentication—a basic security measure that could have prevented unauthorized access.
What Comes Next?
UnitedHealth is expected to submit final breach details to the Office for Civil Rights (OCR), a division of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services that investigates data breaches.
Regulators and lawmakers continue to scrutinize the company’s cybersecurity practices, with concerns about how such a massive breach was allowed to occur.
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Key Takeaways:
- The largest healthcare data breach in U.S. history has impacted nearly 190 million Americans.
- Stolen data includes personal, medical, insurance, and financial information.
- Hackers gained access through a stolen credential without multi-factor authentication.
- UnitedHealth paid multiple ransoms to prevent further data leaks.
- Federal agencies are investigating the breach and cybersecurity lapses.
As cybersecurity threats grow, experts stress the urgent need for stronger protections to prevent future attacks on critical healthcare infrastructure.
