PCG Software, Inc.’s Post

UnitedHealth Group (“UHC”) paid a ransom to protect patient data after a cyberattack on its subsidiary Change Healthcare (“CHC”). While ongoing data review continues, affected health plans and participants haven't been officially notified. UHC found files containing sensitive information affecting many Americans. To mitigate any harm resulting from the CHC breach, we recommend that ERISA-regulated plans which may be impacted by the breach inform their plan participants of the CHC event. Such plans should direct their participants to call the tollfree number (1-866-262-5342) listed on the consumer website to request two years of free credit monitoring. Read more in the latest Privacy & Security Alert from partners Ann Murray, Michelle W. Johnson, Kenneth Janik, Rob Sheridan, Sue Stoffer, Matthew R. Zischke, of counsel Deborah Hembree, and associates Geoffrey Fay and Elaine Drafts: https://lnkd.in/dNxk8qct

The healthcare industry is a juicy target for cybercriminals eager to get their hands on all the personal data they can hold. Learn what lessons can be learned and how businesses can put protections in place: https://ow.ly/Ccvw50RSBL2

The healthcare industry is a juicy target for cybercriminals eager to get their hands on all the personal data they can hold. Learn what lessons can be learned and how businesses can put protections in place: https://ow.ly/MlLg50RTmua

#3rdPartyRisk "HealthEquity ... discovered “anomalous behavior by a personal use device belonging to a business partner” which was "compromised, and used by the threat actors to access HealthEquity systems and thus, sensitive patient data. “some of HealthEquity’s SharePoint data” was taken in the breach. " #hackershackpeople - not just your own people but also #3rdParty staff & contractors. Kaduu.io #CTI lets #CISOs monitor entire #darkweb #deepweb & #surfacenet footprints, including #3rdParties. kaduu.io/us

1/3 of Americans' medical information may have been leaked. How? Because a healthcare company didn’t have multifactor authentication. UnitedHealth Group has access to data on about 1/3 of Americans. An attack on their system has led to the leak of data on a “substantial proportion of people in America.” Leaked personal info:  - SSN  - Driver's licenses  - Passport numbers  - Email addresses  - Birthdates  - Government IDs Leaked medical info:  - Diagnoses  - Medications  - Test results  - Care and treatment plans  - Insurance information The exact number of people affected is still unknown. But the leak is already having a big impact. The company shut down its systems. Meaning countless patients could not obtain prescriptions, medical care, or had procedures delayed. The attack has cost the company almost a billion dollars. This is just one in a series of recent, high-profile data leaks, such as Ticketmaster and Snowflake. With advancements in AI, cybercrime is on the rise, with attackers having the advantage. Cybersecurity is not something to take lightly anymore. 

Healthcare practices are still feeling the effect's of the late-February ransomware hack on UnitedHealth's vital subsidiary, Change Healthcare. This hack disrupted e-prescribe operations for many and is now looking to cost practices even more headaches with delayed payments. Practices are resorting to manually submitting paper claims, hoping insurance companies accept and pay in a somewhat timely manner. This cyber attack painfully exposes the vulnerability of integration and the risk of future attacks on other technology within healthcare, including telehealth and remote monitoring. As the landscape of healthcare continues to evolve, our strategies and resources need to be just as innovative. https://lnkd.in/gjnEXehb

🔸 (SC Media) Change Healthcare, a major U.S. healthcare revenue and payment cycle management provider, was targeted by suspected state-sponsored threat actors in a cyberattack on February 20, according to a report by TechCrunch. 🔸 Although its parent company, UnitedHealth Group, attributed the intrusion to nation-state attackers, they did not disclose which government was behind it or provide evidence to support the attribution in a filing with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission. An investigation, involving security experts and law enforcement, is ongoing, with disclosures made to customers and government agencies. 🔸 The attack led to an ongoing outage affecting pharmacies across the U.S., preventing insurance-based prescription processing and causing downtime in the healthcare sector. #cybersecurity #cybernews #fci #buckler #openvrm #healthcare #databreach #cyberattack #cyberdefense #threatintelligence #hackers #stateattackers #sec #changehealthcare #unitedhealth #insurance #datasecurity #networksecurity #securityawareness #infosec https://lnkd.in/e5T6JZf9

The healthcare industry is a juicy target for cybercriminals eager to get their hands on all the personal data they can hold. Learn what lessons can be learned and how businesses can put protections in place: https://ow.ly/PVWP50S40G5

🚨 #DataBreach 🚨 On October 14, 2024, Gryphon Healthcare and Tri-City Medical Center reported separate cyber incidents affecting the personal data of over 500,000 individuals. Gryphon Healthcare, based in Houston, Texas, discovered a breach involving a third-party partner on August 13, 2024. This breach exposed sensitive information of 393,358 individuals they serve in providing medical billing services. Compromised data included names, addresses, dates of birth, Social Security numbers, and detailed medical information such as diagnosis, health insurance details, treatment records, and medical record numbers. While there is no evidence suggesting misuse of the data, Gryphon is offering 12 months of free identity theft protection to those affected. Tri-City Medical Center, a full-service hospital in Oceanside, California, disclosed a breach affecting 108,149 individuals. This stemmed from a cyberattack in November 2023, and it was confirmed in September 2024 that names and other personal identifiers were exposed. Although the type of attack was unspecified, the Inc Ransom ransomware group had previously claimed responsibility. Like Gryphon, Tri-City is providing free identity protection services to impacted persons.

A massive compromise of our health information is an understatement. Long term impacts have yet to be realized. Our industry has lacked payer accountability (especially with respect to subsidiaries). Undoubtedly this will impact how we conduct future business in healthcare. As the industry navigates through this challenge it's crucial that we prioritize patient care while also implementing stricter security measures to prevent future attacks. "The AHA found that about 94% of hospitals have felt a financial impact from the attack, and more than half have reported a "significant or serious" impact. Seventy-four percent of hospitals have reported a direct effect on patient care. Optum introduced a temporary funding assistance program for providers struggling with cash flow after the attack. To date, the company has provided more than $6 billion in advance payments to providers. "