UnitedHealth Paid Ransom to Cybercriminals Following Massive Data Breach

The cyberattack on Change Healthcare, a UnitedHealth subsidiary, compromised sensitive patient information and disrupted healthcare services across the U.S.

UnitedHealth Group confirmed it paid a ransom to prevent the leak of sensitive patient data stolen during the cyberattack on its subsidiary, Change Healthcare.
The breach, which began in February, affected a substantial proportion of Americans, potentially exposing protected health information and personally identifiable information.
Restoration efforts are underway, with most services now operational, but the financial impact of the attack could exceed $1.5 billion for the year.
Federal investigations are ongoing to determine the extent of the data exposure, while UnitedHealth has implemented measures like free credit monitoring to assist affected individuals.
The ransom payment has sparked concerns about encouraging further cyberattacks on the healthcare sector, highlighting the vulnerability of critical infrastructure to ransomware gangs.