UnitedHealth Details

    Organization Logo

    UnitedHealth

    Minnetonka, Minnesota • 350000 employees • Healthcare

    https://www.unitedhealthgroup.com
    United States

    Industry

    Healthcare

    Security Incidents

    1

    UnitedHealth Group Incorporated is an American multinational managed healthcare and insurance company headquartered in Minnetonka, Minnesota. It offers a broad spectrum of healthcare products, services, and insurance coverage. Established in 1977, UnitedHealth Group provides healthcare benefits through its various subsidiaries, including UnitedHealthcare, which offers network-based health care benefits to individuals, employers, and Medicare and Medicaid beneficiaries.

    Throughout its history, UnitedHealth has achieved several notable milestones. The company went public in 1984, which allowed...
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    Security Incidents

    UnitedHealth Breach of Feb 2024
    Severity Score
    High

    Type

    Ransomware Attack

    Summary

    In February 2024, UnitedHealth's subsidiary Change Healthcare suffered a ransomware attack initiated by the BlackCat (ALPHV) group. The attackers used stolen credentials to breach the company's Citrix remote access service, which lacked multi-factor authentication. During the attack, approximately 6 terabytes of data were stolen and systems were encrypted, causing significant disruptions in the U.S. healthcare sector, including difficulties in processing claims and accepting prescription discount cards.

    By October 2024, it was disclosed that the breach impacted the personal information and h...
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    Severity

    The February ransomware attack on UnitedHealth's Change Healthcare unit was an extremely severe incident, marking it as the largest healthcare data breach in the U.S. to date. With the personal and healthcare data of approximately 100 million individuals compromised, this breach had far-reaching consequences, disrupting healthcare services, affecting claims and payment processes, and necessitating substantial financial responses from UnitedHealth, including loans to providers and significant ransom payments. The attack, undertaken by the sophisticated BlackCat group, exploited vulnerabilities ...
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    Impact

    The incident at UnitedHealth's Change Healthcare involved a significant ransomware attack and data breach that affected over 100 million individuals' personal and healthcare information, marking it as the largest healthcare data breach in the U.S. to date. Sensitive data exposed included health insurance details, medical diagnoses, social security numbers, and even financial information. The ransomware attack led to widespread disruptions in healthcare services, such as billing and claims processing, severely impacting both patients and providers nationwide. UnitedHealth reportedly paid an ini...
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