United Health Data Breach: What & How It Happened?
Twingate Team
•
Jun 28, 2024
In February 2024, UnitedHealth Group experienced a data breach. The breach was carried out by a ransomware group. UnitedHealth Group paid a significant ransom, but the breach has cost the company a substantial amount. The company is currently providing support and protections for those potentially impacted, including free credit monitoring and identity theft protections for two years.
How many accounts were compromised?
The breach impacted data related to a substantial proportion of people in America, though the exact number of compromised accounts or users has not been determined.
What data was leaked?
The data exposed in the breach included contact information, health insurance information, health information, billing, claims, and payment information, as well as other personal information such as Social Security numbers, driver's licenses, or passport numbers.
How was United Health hacked?
The cybercriminals behind the UnitedHealth Group breach exploited a portal without multifactor authentication, allowing them to infiltrate Change Healthcare's computer system. Once inside, they deployed ransomware and exfiltrated a substantial amount of data. The specifics of the malware removal process remain unclear.
United Health's solution
In response to the hack, UnitedHealth Group took several measures to secure its platform and prevent future incidents. This included quickly stopping the ransomware activity, disconnecting and turning off systems to prevent further impact, and initiating an investigation while contacting law enforcement. UnitedHealth Group also retained leading cybersecurity and data analysis experts to assist in the investigation. Furthermore, the company's CEO, Andrew Witty, stated that all logins for Change Healthcare, the affected subsidiary, now have multifactor authentication enabled. UnitedHealth Group is working with leading industry experts to analyze the data involved in the cyberattack and is in communication with law enforcement and regulators to provide appropriate notifications when the company can confirm the information involved.
How do I know if I was affected?
UnitedHealth Group has not explicitly stated whether they reached out to affected users. However, if you are concerned about your data being compromised in this breach or others, you can visit Have I Been Pwned to check your credentials.
What should affected users do?
In general, affected users should:
Change Your Passwords: Immediately update your passwords for any accounts that may have been compromised. Make sure the new passwords are strong and unique, not previously used on any other platform.
Reset Passwords for Other Accounts: If you've used the same or similar passwords for other online accounts, reset those as well. This is crucial as attackers often try using stolen passwords on multiple sites.
Enable Two-Factor Authentication (2FA): Activate 2FA on any affected accounts. Consider enabling this additional security feature on all other important online accounts to significantly reduce the risk of unauthorized access.
Monitor Your Accounts: Keep an eye on your accounts for any suspicious activity and report it immediately to the appropriate parties.
For more specific help and instructions related to United Health's data breach, please contact UnitedHealthcare support directly.
Where can I go to learn more?
If you want to find more information on the United Health data breach, check out the following news articles:
Rapidly implement a modern Zero Trust network that is more secure and maintainable than VPNs.
United Health Data Breach: What & How It Happened?
Twingate Team
•
Jun 28, 2024
In February 2024, UnitedHealth Group experienced a data breach. The breach was carried out by a ransomware group. UnitedHealth Group paid a significant ransom, but the breach has cost the company a substantial amount. The company is currently providing support and protections for those potentially impacted, including free credit monitoring and identity theft protections for two years.
How many accounts were compromised?
The breach impacted data related to a substantial proportion of people in America, though the exact number of compromised accounts or users has not been determined.
What data was leaked?
The data exposed in the breach included contact information, health insurance information, health information, billing, claims, and payment information, as well as other personal information such as Social Security numbers, driver's licenses, or passport numbers.
How was United Health hacked?
The cybercriminals behind the UnitedHealth Group breach exploited a portal without multifactor authentication, allowing them to infiltrate Change Healthcare's computer system. Once inside, they deployed ransomware and exfiltrated a substantial amount of data. The specifics of the malware removal process remain unclear.
United Health's solution
In response to the hack, UnitedHealth Group took several measures to secure its platform and prevent future incidents. This included quickly stopping the ransomware activity, disconnecting and turning off systems to prevent further impact, and initiating an investigation while contacting law enforcement. UnitedHealth Group also retained leading cybersecurity and data analysis experts to assist in the investigation. Furthermore, the company's CEO, Andrew Witty, stated that all logins for Change Healthcare, the affected subsidiary, now have multifactor authentication enabled. UnitedHealth Group is working with leading industry experts to analyze the data involved in the cyberattack and is in communication with law enforcement and regulators to provide appropriate notifications when the company can confirm the information involved.
How do I know if I was affected?
UnitedHealth Group has not explicitly stated whether they reached out to affected users. However, if you are concerned about your data being compromised in this breach or others, you can visit Have I Been Pwned to check your credentials.
What should affected users do?
In general, affected users should:
Change Your Passwords: Immediately update your passwords for any accounts that may have been compromised. Make sure the new passwords are strong and unique, not previously used on any other platform.
Reset Passwords for Other Accounts: If you've used the same or similar passwords for other online accounts, reset those as well. This is crucial as attackers often try using stolen passwords on multiple sites.
Enable Two-Factor Authentication (2FA): Activate 2FA on any affected accounts. Consider enabling this additional security feature on all other important online accounts to significantly reduce the risk of unauthorized access.
Monitor Your Accounts: Keep an eye on your accounts for any suspicious activity and report it immediately to the appropriate parties.
For more specific help and instructions related to United Health's data breach, please contact UnitedHealthcare support directly.
Where can I go to learn more?
If you want to find more information on the United Health data breach, check out the following news articles:
Rapidly implement a modern Zero Trust network that is more secure and maintainable than VPNs.
United Health Data Breach: What & How It Happened?
Twingate Team
•
Jun 28, 2024
In February 2024, UnitedHealth Group experienced a data breach. The breach was carried out by a ransomware group. UnitedHealth Group paid a significant ransom, but the breach has cost the company a substantial amount. The company is currently providing support and protections for those potentially impacted, including free credit monitoring and identity theft protections for two years.
How many accounts were compromised?
The breach impacted data related to a substantial proportion of people in America, though the exact number of compromised accounts or users has not been determined.
What data was leaked?
The data exposed in the breach included contact information, health insurance information, health information, billing, claims, and payment information, as well as other personal information such as Social Security numbers, driver's licenses, or passport numbers.
How was United Health hacked?
The cybercriminals behind the UnitedHealth Group breach exploited a portal without multifactor authentication, allowing them to infiltrate Change Healthcare's computer system. Once inside, they deployed ransomware and exfiltrated a substantial amount of data. The specifics of the malware removal process remain unclear.
United Health's solution
In response to the hack, UnitedHealth Group took several measures to secure its platform and prevent future incidents. This included quickly stopping the ransomware activity, disconnecting and turning off systems to prevent further impact, and initiating an investigation while contacting law enforcement. UnitedHealth Group also retained leading cybersecurity and data analysis experts to assist in the investigation. Furthermore, the company's CEO, Andrew Witty, stated that all logins for Change Healthcare, the affected subsidiary, now have multifactor authentication enabled. UnitedHealth Group is working with leading industry experts to analyze the data involved in the cyberattack and is in communication with law enforcement and regulators to provide appropriate notifications when the company can confirm the information involved.
How do I know if I was affected?
UnitedHealth Group has not explicitly stated whether they reached out to affected users. However, if you are concerned about your data being compromised in this breach or others, you can visit Have I Been Pwned to check your credentials.
What should affected users do?
In general, affected users should:
Change Your Passwords: Immediately update your passwords for any accounts that may have been compromised. Make sure the new passwords are strong and unique, not previously used on any other platform.
Reset Passwords for Other Accounts: If you've used the same or similar passwords for other online accounts, reset those as well. This is crucial as attackers often try using stolen passwords on multiple sites.
Enable Two-Factor Authentication (2FA): Activate 2FA on any affected accounts. Consider enabling this additional security feature on all other important online accounts to significantly reduce the risk of unauthorized access.
Monitor Your Accounts: Keep an eye on your accounts for any suspicious activity and report it immediately to the appropriate parties.
For more specific help and instructions related to United Health's data breach, please contact UnitedHealthcare support directly.
Where can I go to learn more?
If you want to find more information on the United Health data breach, check out the following news articles:
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