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First Health Advisory CEO Carter Groome, MBA, CHISL, CDH-E sees Change Healthcare Cyberattack as a Tipping Point in WSJ Pro Cybersecurity: https://lnkd.in/eU5_shKp The cyberattack on Change Healthcare, part of UnitedHealth Group's Optum business, could have severe consequences as outages persist. Merged with Optum in 2022, Change Healthcare provides prescription processing services through Optum. UnitedHealth has identified a nation-state as the attacker, and the company has disconnected its systems. However, Change Healthcare claims over 100 systems have been affected, including military pharmacies, clinics, and hospitals. #Pharma #Pharmacies #HealthcareIT #HealthcareSecurity #DataSecurity #PatientSafety #Cyberattack #CyberRisk #RiskManagement #Ransomware

MediSecure enters administration and more briefs - Healthcare IT news #MediSecureEntersAdministration MediSecure, a prominent healthcare IT company, has entered administration, causing concern in the industry. The reasons behind this decision are still unclear, but it has raised questions about the future of the company and its services. #ImpactOnHealthcareProviders The administration of MediSecure has left many healthcare providers wondering about the impact on their operations. With uncertainty surrounding the company's future, providers are left unsure about the continuity of their services and the security of their patient data. #TransitionToNewProvider In light of MediSecure's administration, healthcare providers are now faced with the challenge of transitioning to a new provider for their IT needs. This process can be complex and time-consuming, requiring careful planning and ai.mediformatica.com #government #administration #healthcare #prescription #ransomware #ransomwareattack #voluntary #cyberattack #funding #governmentfunding #news #pharmacies #digitalhealth #healthit #healthtech #healthcaretechnology @MediFormatica (https://buff.ly/45cRHXI)

The healthcare industry has had a rough start to 2024. It’s still reeling from February’s attack on Change Healthcare that brought production screeching to a halt. The breach shut down offices and healthcare facilities, cut off patient access to medication and care, and cost large hospitals and pharmacies upward of $100 million per day. 🏥 Despite all the warning signs, it seems every year keeps getting worse for the healthcare industry. Why is it so susceptible to attacks? In our latest blog we talk about the top three reasons hackers are targeting (and successfully disrupting) the healthcare industry, and what healthcare organizations can do to end it. ☀️ To read the full article, click here: https://hubs.ly/Q02B52K40

Cybercriminals often focus their efforts on healthcare providers due to the wealth of sensitive personal and financial data they possess about patients. Additionally, the critical nature of healthcare services means that any disruption can pose significant risks to patient safety, increasing the likelihood that organizations may feel compelled to pay ransoms to restore normal operations. According to statistics from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Medical data of more than 61 million people has been stolen or exposed in more than 400 cyberattacks in 2023. #cybersecurity #cyberattack #cybercrime

For possibly every Change Healthcare customer, the next big bomb dangling over their heads is learning once and for all how many of their patients will need to be notified that their protected health information was compromised in the Change Healthcare ransomware attack. Thousands? Hundreds of thousands? Millions? Who knows? But with BlackCat attackers claiming to have exfiltrated 6 terabytes of data from Change Healthcare, it surely will be plenty. Along with the breaches will come many other extra burdens and uncertainties. In how many lawsuits might Change Healthcare customers be named co-defendants? #conciergecyber

The Change Healthcare cyberattack has taken a real human toll, with patients struggling to access vital prescriptions and treatments due to the disruptions. It's heartbreaking to hear health system leaders describe the very real impacts on people's lives and wellbeing. Protecting patients from these threats should be a top priority, requiring greater investment in cybersecurity and shared responsibility across the healthcare ecosystem. We must do more to safeguard the care and comfort of the most vulnerable.

ICYMI: the U.S. healthcare system just experienced its most significant cyberattack… so far. The attack targeted Change Healthcare, a medical payment processing subsidiary of UnitedHealth Group’s Optum division, and has left doctors and hospitals unable to process payments electronically. The attack has left independent practices and large health systems alike struggling to maintain operations amid the financial strain stemming from the sudden electronic payment impasse. This is a dire situation and underscores the healthcare system’s vulnerability in the face of ransomware and other types of cyberattacks. The Federal government and UnitedHealth have announced relief measures, but healthcare providers argue these are insufficient to address the immediate financial challenges. The American Hospital Association and other industry bodies are calling for even more robust action from the federal government, sparking a broader discussion about cybersecurity in healthcare. This incident reveals a stark truth: we need more funding and focus on safeguarding critical infrastructure, more concrete solutions, and a coordinated response in place to bolster the healthcare sector’s cybersecurity posture.

𝗖𝘆𝗯𝗲𝗿𝗮𝘁𝘁𝗮𝗰𝗸 𝗛𝗶𝘁𝘀 𝗨.𝗦. 𝗣𝗵𝗮𝗿𝗺𝗮𝗰𝗶𝗲𝘀, 𝗘𝘅𝗽𝗼𝘀𝗲𝘀 𝗛𝗲𝗮𝗹𝘁𝗵𝗰𝗮𝗿𝗲 𝗩𝘂𝗹𝗻𝗲𝗿𝗮𝗯𝗶𝗹𝗶𝘁𝗶𝗲𝘀 The cyberattack on UnitedHealth's Change Healthcare unit, which has left numerous pharmacies across the United States unable to process prescriptions, was reported by the Daily Mail UK. This suspected state-sponsored cyberattack has disrupted operations for tens of thousands of pharmacies, affecting the prescription services for an unknown portion of UnitedHealth's 7.7 million customers. The incident, which aligns with an AT&T cell service outage affecting over 70,000 customers, has prompted an investigation by the FBI and Homeland Security. Major pharmacy chains such as CVS Health and Walgreens have acknowledged the impact of the hack, stating efforts to maintain service continuity despite challenges. The attack reflects the growing threat of cyberattacks on the healthcare sector, previously highlighted by incidents like the 2022 attack on CommonSpirit Health and others, underscoring the increasing digital vulnerabilities in healthcare. Securing sensitive data in crucial sectors is paramount, particularly in healthcare. #Abatis provides an ideal solution for protecting critical infrastructure, guaranteeing data security, and upholding reputations.

🚨 Urgent Cybersecurity Alert in Healthcare! 🏥💻 The recent cyberattack on Change Healthcare, a major player in health-care technology, has sent shockwaves across pharmacies nationwide. 🌐💔 Pharmacies are grappling with delays in prescription processing, creating a significant impact on patient care. Change Healthcare, a key player handling 15 billion health-care transactions annually, faced a network interruption due to a cybersecurity issue. In response, the company promptly disconnected systems to mitigate further impact. Pharmacies, including Scheurer Family Pharmacy in Michigan, are alerting customers about temporary disruptions in prescription processing. 📢 As a professional in the healthcare industry, it's crucial to stay informed and take proactive measures to address potential challenges: 1️⃣ Review Security Measures: Ensure your organization's systems are robust and updated to minimize vulnerabilities. 2️⃣ Patient Communication: If your facility is affected, communicate transparently with patients about any potential disruptions and reassure them of ongoing efforts to restore services. 3️⃣ Collaborate and Share Information: Stay connected with industry peers to share insights, best practices, and updates on the situation.

💉💊 The source of a cyberattack that targeted one of the nation's largest prescription processors — which services 30,000 pharmacies nationwide and left many unable to fulfill prescriptions Thursday — was likely associated with a nation-state, and the attackers likely gained access to some information technology systems, according to documents filed on the SEC's website. UnitedHealth Group on Wednesday identified that a "suspected nation-state associated cyber security threat actor" gained access to some of the Change Healthcare information technology systems, the documents said. After learning of the attack, UnitedHealth "proactively isolated the impacted systems from other connecting systems" in the interest of protecting its partners and patients, as well as to contain, assess and remediate the incident. UnitedHealth was working to restore the systems and resume normal operations "as soon as possible," but couldn't estimate how long the disruption would last. "The Company has retained leading security experts, is working with law enforcement and notified customers, clients and certain government agencies," the SEC document said. "At this time, the Company believes the network interruption is specific to Change Healthcare systems, and all other systems across the Company are operational." Notably, certain networks and transactional services might not be accessible during the disruption, the documents said. "As of the date of this report, the Company has not determined the incident is reasonably likely to materially impact the Company's financial condition or results of operations," the filing said. The attack left many prescriptions unable to be processed. Change Healthcare did not provide much detail about the cyberattack against the Tennessee-based company, but has said the matter was being addressed. Staff first became aware of the attack Wednesday, when "enterprise-wide connectivity issues" arose, the company said. The disruption could last at least through Thursday. "Once we became aware of the outside threat, in the interest of protecting our partners and patients, we took immediate action to disconnect our systems to prevent further impact," read the update. The cyberattack seems to be exclusive to Change Healthcare as other UnitedHealth systems remained operational, the company said. Change Healthcare, which handles 15 billion healthcare transactions yearly, offers "payment cycle management solutions," The HIPAA Journal reported. On its website, Change Healthcare said 1 in 3 U.S. patient records are passed through its solutions. Pharmacies in some states have reported direct impacts from the outage. #pharmacies #outage #cyberattack #prescription #cybersecurity #healthcare