Cyberattack Disrupts UnitedHealth’s Change Healthcare for 4th Day
TL/DR –
UnitedHealth Group, the largest health-care company in the U.S., disclosed that a “suspected nation-state-associated” actor gained access to part of its IT network. The attack affected Change Healthcare’s systems, causing them to be down for a fourth day. The company isolated and disconnected the affected systems immediately after detecting the threat and is working to restore the impacted environment without taking additional risks.
UnitedHealth Group Cybersecurity Threat
The systems of Change Healthcare are down for a fourth consecutive day following the revelation that UnitedHealth Group experienced a suspected cybersecurity incursion into its IT network. UnitedHealth, the biggest U.S. health-care company by market cap, operates the health-care provider Optum and Change Healthcare, a notable player in payment and revenue cycle management.
Cyberattack Details
UnitedHealth identified a “suspected nation-state-associated” actor behind this cyberattack, as per a filing with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission. The company disconnected the affected systems immediately after identifying the threat but hasn’t divulged more details.
Disruption Continues
Change Healthcare announced on Saturday that the disruption is anticipated to persist at least throughout the day. The company expressed high confidence that the systems of Optum, UnitedHealthcare, and UnitedHealth are unaffected. It also noted it’s working on multiple methods to restore the impacted environment and will avoid taking any additional risk.
Business Impact
While the exact systems impacted by the attack remain unspecified, companies like CVS Health reported disturbances in some business operations. CVS Health continues to fill prescriptions but is unable to process insurance claims in some cases. However, no compromise of CVS’s systems was reported.
Healthcare Advisory
The American Hospital Association urged health-care organizations to disconnect from Optum until its safety is confirmed. Consultations with the Department of Health and Human Services, FBI, and the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency were reported amidst this situation.
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