Cyb3rius
@cyb3rius
· 2d
**Why did the Change Healthcare ransomware attack cost so much?**A single stolen login at one claims-processing intermediary took down pharmacy payments across the United States and became the most expensive cyberattack in healthcare history.What happened: In February 2024, attackers logged into a Change Healthcare Citrix remote-access portal using stolen credentials and no multi-factor authentication. ALPHV/BlackCat ransomware then encrypted systems, halting claims processing for pharmacies and hospitals nationwide. UnitedHealth Group paid a $22 million ransom in March 2024, after which ALPHV exit-scammed its own affiliate and disappeared.Key numbers: Roughly 190 million people had personal or health data exposed, according to HHS.$2.87 billion was UnitedHealth's own 2024 cost estimate for the attack.About 6 weeks passed before pharmacy claims processing was substantially restored.Why it matters: One unhardened account at one intermediary cascaded into a nationwide outage, proving that concentration risk turns a single credential theft into systemic infrastructure failure.Bottom line: Modern breaches are rarely breaches of one company; they are breaches of everyone that company touches.
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