UnitedHealth’s Change Healthcare Unity suffered a data breach in February 2024, the news of which appeared on February 21.
Initially reported that they have hit around 100 million peopleThe US health insurance has now shown that the actual number is considerably higher: 190 million. This makes it the greatest violation of medical data in American history, which affects almost half of the population of the country.
A violation of this size can have devastating consequences for the American people, because malicious actors can exploit the data for a series of attacks if it finds its way to the dark web.
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A doctor who looks at the patient’s private information (Kurt “Cyberguy” Knutsson)
The updated impact assessment
UnitedHealth confirmed on Friday, January 24, 2025, that the ransomware There was about 190 million people in the United States on the change in health care unity of health care. The company had previously estimated that the number of affected persons would be around 100 million in his provisional analysis submitted to the Office for Civil Rights, a division of the US Department of Public Health and Human Services that investigates data breaches.
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UnitedHealth stated that the majority of the affected has already been informed, either directly or by replacement notification. The last number of affected persons will be confirmed at a later time and be submitted to the office for civil rights.
The company tells Cyberguy that it is “not aware of any abuse of the information from individuals as a result of this incident and has not seen it electronic databases for medical file appears in the data during the analysis. “However, UnitedHealth did not disclose when it became aware of the extra 90 million victims, how the revised figure was determined or what changes led to the updated number.
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What you need to know about the data breach
The cyber attack on change in February in February caused widespread disturbances in the American health care sector, because the company took its systems offline to limit the infringement. This closure influenced critical services such as the processing of claims, payments and data exchange, which many healthcare providers trust.
The stolen data varied per individual but include a wide range of personal and sensitive information, such as names, addresses, birth dates, telephone numbers, e -mail addresses and government numbers, including social security, driver’s license and passport data.
In addition, hackers may have access to health-related information, including diagnoses, medicines, test results, imaging registers, care and treatment plans and details of health insurance. Financial and banking information linked to claims and payment details were reportedly also compromised.
The infringement was the result of a ransomware attack carried out by Alphv/Blackcat, a Russian-speaking ransomware and extortion group. The attack, a form of malware burglary, locks victims from their data unless a ransom is paid. Alphv/Blackcat later took the honor for the attack.
During a hearing in April, Change Healthcare admitted that the infringement was made possible due to insufficient security measures, in particular the absence of two-factor authentication to protect its systems.
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6 ways to protect yourself against changes in health care Datalek
1. Remove your personal information from the internet: The infringement has exposed sensitive personal data, making it essential to reduce your online footprint. Although no service can guarantee full data removal, a reputable service for data removal can considerably limit your exposure. These services systematically monitor and delete your personal information from numerous websites and data brokers. View my best choices for data removal services here.
2. Be on your guard for mailbox communication: With addresses under the compromised data, scammers can use this infringement to send fraudulent letters. Be aware of claiming e -mail Missed deliveriesAccount Suspensions of Security Alerts. Always check the authenticity of such communication before you respond or take action.
3. Be careful with phishing attempts and use strong antivirus software: Scammers can use your compromised e -mail or telephone number to designate phishing attack. Be on your guard for messages that ask for personal information or contain the suspect links. To protect yourself, ensure that strong antivirus software is installed on all your devices. Buy my choices for the best 2025 antivirus protection winners for your Windows, Mac, Android and iOS devices.
4. Check your accounts: Given the scope of this infringement, it is crucial of regular monitoring of your bank accounts, credit card statements and other financial accounts. Search for unauthorized transactions or suspicious activities and immediately report problems to your bank or credit card provider.
5. Recognize and report a social security scam: If your social security number is exposed, you could become a target for related scams. Official communication about social security problems usually comes via e -mail, no phone calls or e -mails. More information about spotting and reporting scams by visiting the Social Security Administration SCAM -Information page.
6. Investing in the protection of identity theft: Data breaches happen every day, and most never get the headlines, but with an identity theft protection service you get a message whether and when you are affected. Identity theft companies can follow personal information such as your Sofin number, telephone number and e -mail address and you warn you if it is sold on the dark web or is used to open an account. They can also help you freeze your bank and credit card defenses to prevent unauthorized use by criminals. See my tips and choose the best how you can protect yourself against identity theft.
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It is surprising that a company of the UnitedHealth scale does not even implement fundamental cyber security measures when handling customer data. An infringement of 190 million people – almost half of the American population – is amazing, so that almost everyone runs the risk of becoming a target for hackers. Although the company still assesses the full extent of the infringement, you can now take precautions by being careful with unknown links or unsolicited calls. Poor actors can use different tactics to cause damage.
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