Massive Change Healthcare Data Breach: 190 Million Americans Impacted, Confirms UnitedHealth

Massive Change Healthcare Data Breach: 190 Million Americans Impacted, Confirms UnitedHealth

UnitedHealth has confirmed a significant ransomware attack on its Change Healthcare unit, revealing that it affected approximately 190 million people across the United States. This number is nearly double the previous estimates, marking this incident as one of the largest breaches of medical data in U.S. history.

Details of the Ransomware Attack

In a recent communication with TechCrunch, UnitedHealth spokesperson Tyler Mason stated that, “Change Healthcare has determined the estimated total number of individuals impacted by the Change Healthcare cyberattack is approximately 190 million.” He further mentioned that the majority of affected individuals have already received notifications regarding the breach.

Impact and Response

UnitedHealth assured that they are “not aware of any misuse of individuals’ information” and noted that no electronic medical record databases have surfaced during their analysis. However, the February 2024 cyberattack resulted in significant disruptions across the U.S. healthcare system, affecting not only Change Healthcare but also its clients and partners.

  • Massive Data Theft: The breach involved the theft of sensitive health and insurance-related information.
  • Ransom Payments: Change Healthcare reportedly paid at least two ransoms to deter further publication of the compromised data.
  • Initial Estimates: The preliminary estimates put the number of affected individuals at around 100 million.

Nature of the Stolen Data

The data breach has serious implications, as the stolen information includes:

  • Names and addresses
  • Dates of birth
  • Phone numbers and email addresses
  • Government-issued identity documents (Social Security numbers, driver’s licenses, passports)
  • Medical diagnoses, medications, and test results
  • Health insurance information
  • Financial and banking details

Attribution to ALPHV Ransomware Gang

The cyberattack has been attributed to the ALPHV ransomware gang, a notorious Russian-language cybercrime group. UnitedHealth Group CEO Andrew Witty testified that the hackers gained access to Change’s systems through a stolen account credential that lacked multi-factor authentication protection.

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Looking Ahead

Change Healthcare has committed to filing a final report with the Office for Civil Rights at the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, which investigates data breaches. This incident serves as a stark reminder of the vulnerabilities in healthcare data security and the ongoing threat posed by cybercriminals.

For more information about cybersecurity in healthcare, visit our dedicated page on this topic.

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