Current:Home > MarketsUnitedHealth paid ransom after massive Change Healthcare cyberattack -ProfitClass
UnitedHealth paid ransom after massive Change Healthcare cyberattack
View
Date:2025-04-26 09:41:49
The Russia-based cybercriminals who attacked a UnitedHealth Group-owned company in February did not walk away from the endeavor empty-handed.
"A ransom was paid as part of the company's commitment to do all it could to protect patient data from disclosure," a UnitedHealth Group spokesperson confirmed with CBS News late Monday.
The spokesperson did not disclose how much the health giant paid after the cyberattack, which shut down operations at hospitals and pharmacies for more than a week. Multiple media sources have reported that UnitedHealth paid $22 million in the form of bitcoin.
"We know this attack has caused concern and been disruptive for consumers and providers and we are committed to doing everything possible to help and provide support to anyone who may need it," UnitedHealth CEO Andrew Witty said in a statement Monday.
UnitedHealth blamed the breach on a Russian ransomware gang known as ALPHV or BlackCat. The group itself claimed responsibility for the attack, alleging it stole more than six terabytes of data, including "sensitive" medical records, from Change Healthcare, which processes health insurance claims for patients who visited hospitals, medical centers or pharmacies.
The scale of the attack — Change Healthcare processes 15 billion transactions a year, according to the American Hospital Association —meant that even patients weren't customers of UnitedHealth were potentially affected. The attack has already cost UnitedHealth Group nearly $900 million, company officials said in reporting first-quarter earnings last week.
Ransomware attacks, which involve disabling a target's computer systems, have become increasingly common within the health care industry. The annual number of ransomware attacks against hospitals and other providers doubled from 2016 to 2021, according to a 2022 study published in JAMA Health Forum.
The Change Healthcare incident was "straight out an attack on the U.S. health system and designed to create maximum damage," Witty told analysts during an earnings call last week. Ultimately, the cyberattack is expected to cost UnitedHealth between $1.3 billion and $1.6 billion this year, the company projected in its earnings report.
- In:
- UnitedHealth Group
- Ransomware
Khristopher J. Brooks is a reporter for CBS MoneyWatch. He previously worked as a reporter for the Omaha World-Herald, Newsday and the Florida Times-Union. His reporting primarily focuses on the U.S. housing market, the business of sports and bankruptcy.
TwitterveryGood! (52)
Related
- Pressure on a veteran and senator shows what’s next for those who oppose Trump
- Washington officers on trial in deadly arrest of Manny Ellis, a case reminiscent of George Floyd
- Jrue Holiday being traded to Boston, AP source says, as Portland continues making moves
- U2 brings swagger, iconic songs to Sphere Las Vegas in jaw-dropping opening night concert
- Residents in Alaska capital clean up swamped homes after an ice dam burst and unleashed a flood
- Julianne Moore channeled Mary Kay Letourneau for Netflix's soapy new 'May December'
- Polish opposition leader Donald Tusk seeks to boost his election chances with a rally in Warsaw
- India’s devastating monsoon season is a sign of things to come, as climate and poor planning combine
- Apple iOS 18.2: What to know about top features, including Genmoji, AI updates
- 7 sets of remains exhumed, 59 graves found after latest search for remains of the Tulsa Race Massacre victims
Ranking
- Spooky or not? Some Choa Chu Kang residents say community garden resembles cemetery
- Taiwan unveils first domestically made submarine to help defend against possible Chinese attack
- A European body condemns Turkey’s sentencing of an activist for links to 2013 protests
- Illinois semitruck crash causes 5 fatalities and an ammonia leak evacuation for residents
- IRS recovers $4.7 billion in back taxes and braces for cuts with Trump and GOP in power
- Grant program for Black women entrepreneurs blocked by federal appeals court
- 4 Baton Rouge officers charged in connection with brave cave scandal
- Inmate accused of killing corrections officer at Georgia prison
Recommendation
Kehlani Responds to Hurtful Accusation She’s in a Cult
Taylor Swift, Brittany Mahomes, Sophie Turner and Blake Lively Spotted Out to Dinner in NYC
Chicago is keeping hundreds of migrants at airports while waiting on shelters and tents
Europe’s anti-corruption group says Cyprus must hold politicians more accountable amid distrust
Jay Kanter, veteran Hollywood producer and Marlon Brando agent, dies at 97: Reports
Afghan Embassy closes in India citing a lack of diplomatic support and personnel
U2 brings swagger, iconic songs to Sphere Las Vegas in jaw-dropping opening night concert
Parenting tip from sons of ex-MLB players: Baseball – and sports – is least important thing