Cyb3rius
@cyb3rius
· Oct 17
What was the Change Healthcare ransomware attack?In February 2024, ALPHV/BlackCat ransomware breached UnitedHealth-owned Change Healthcare, disrupting U.S. pharmacy claims and ultimately exposing data on about 190 million people.What happened: On Feb. 21, 2024, Change Healthcare took systems offline after attackers used stolen Citrix credentials to enter its network and deploy BlackCat ransomware. UnitedHealth later said it paid a $22 million ransom in bitcoin, while the breach expanded to medical and personal data on roughly one-third of Americans.Key numbers: Feb. 21, 2024: date Change Healthcare disconnected systems.$22 million: ransom reportedly paid to ALPHV/BlackCat.190 million: people whose data UnitedHealth said was affected.Why it matters: A single identity failure at a healthcare clearinghouse froze prescriptions and claims nationwide, showing how concentrated third-party infrastructure creates systemic risk.Bottom line: The costliest healthcare cyberattack of 2024 was less a malware story than a single-point-of-failure story.
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