UnitedHealth ransomware attack disrupts healthcare services and causes massive breach
In February 2024, UnitedHealth's technology unit was hit by a BlackCat ransomware attack, disrupting prescription ordering and medical billing and payment services. UnitedHealth worked to restore services and provided limited financial support to healthcare providers. The number of people later confirmed affected by the data breach rose to 192.7 million, and lawsuits by healthcare providers and patients followed.
Key facts
- Affected organisation
- UnitedHealth
- Incident type
- Ransomware
- Occurred / detected
- Not confirmed
- Scale of damage
- Data breach affecting 192.7 million people and disruption of prescription ordering and medical billing and payment services
- Cause / method
- BlackCat ransomware attack
- Location
- United States
Timeline
- UnitedHealth named the BlackCat ransomware group as being behind the hack of its technology unit.
- UnitedHealth provided limited financial support following the cyber-attack.
- UnitedHealth announced plans to restore medical billing and payment services by mid-March.
- UnitedHealth disclosed that data of many Americans may have been stolen.
- A US health authority website confirmed that 192.7 million people were affected by the technology unit hack.
- Lawsuits against UnitedHealth by healthcare providers and patients over the data breach continued.
34 related reports
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- A Cyberattack on a UnitedHealth Unit Disrupts Prescription Drug Orders (Published 2024)
- UnitedHealth says 'Blackcat' ransomware group behind hack at tech unit
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- UHG Offers Limited Financial Assistance After Cyberattack
- UnitedHealth to restore hacked medical claims and payment services mid-March
- With Cyberattack Fix Weeks Away, Health Providers Slam United (Published 2024)
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- Health industry struggles to recover from cyberattack on a unit of UnitedHealth
- UnitedHealth services returning after February cyberattack
- Lawsuit filed on behalf of 'millions' of patients impacted by UnitedHealth data breach
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- UnitedHealth Stuck With Provider, Patient Suits Over Data Breach
The summary and key facts are written by AI from related reports and may contain errors. Check the original articles and the organisation’s official statements for accurate details.