UnitedHealth Group hacked. Data of 100 million Americans compromised

The massive hacking attack on UnitedHealth Group (UHG) affected 100 million Americans, making it the largest known cyberattack on the US healthcare sector.

In February 2024, UHG subsidiary Change Healthcare suffered a devastating attack by the ALPHV/BlackCat group. As a result of the attack, 6 terabytes of medical information were compromised, affecting a third of the US population. This cyberattack led to months of disruptions to medical facilities, pharmacies and payment delays. UHG was forced to pay a ransom of $22 million. Attackers gained access through stolen Citrix login credentials without multi-factor authentication.

• UHG is the largest medical company in the US, handling about half of all insurance claims. This makes it a prime target for cybercriminals. After the attack, it was revealed that the company’s cyber security issues allowed the attackers to roam the systems unhindered for 9 days, collecting data and taking it outside the company.
• The cyberattack on UHG revealed serious flaws in the medical institution’s security system and confirmed the need for constant monitoring and the use of multi-factor authentication to prevent similar incidents in the future.

**The hacking attack on UnitedHealth Group in 2024 was the largest in the history of US healthcare and affected 100 million people. Attackers used stolen credentials to access sensitive data, causing months of disruption to the healthcare system and a $22 million ransom payment.