Tag Archive for: change

Hackers Were in Change Healthcare 9 Days Before Attack

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Hackers were reportedly in the networks of UnitedHealth Group’s Change Healthcare unit for days before launching their ransomware strike.

They gained entry to the networks on Feb. 12, using compromised credentials on an application that allows staff to remotely access systems, The Wall Street Journal (WSJ) reported Monday (April 22).

During the nine days they were in the system before launching the attack on Feb. 21, they may have been able to steal “significant” amounts of data, Seeking Alpha reported Monday, citing a WSJ article.

Change Healthcare posted its first update reporting connectivity issues Feb. 21, saying that “some applications are currently unavailable” and that the company was triaging the issue.

On April 16, UnitedHealth Group CEO Andrew Witty said during an earnings call that the cyberattack cost the company $872 million.

Witty said that the incident “was straight out an attack on the U.S. health system and designed to create maximum damage,” adding: “I think we’ve got through that very well in terms of the remediation and the build back to functionality.”

In the wake of that attack, the federal government announced it is offering a $10 million reward to help identify the people behind the organization that launched the attack: the ransomware-as-a-service group ALPHV BlackCat.

In addition, U.S. Sen. Mark R. Warner, D-Va., introduced a bill that would accelerate Medicare payments to healthcare providers that have suffered a cyberattack.

The bill, the “Health Care Cybersecurity Improvement Act of 2024,” is meant to incentivize cybersecurity in the healthcare industry.

“The recent hack of Change Healthcare is a reminder that the entire healthcare industry is vulnerable and needs to step up its game,” Warner said in a March 22 press release announcing the introduction of the bill. “This legislation would provide some important financial incentives for providers and vendors to do so.”

PYMNTS Intelligence has found that 82% of eCommerce merchants endured cyber or data breaches in the last year. Forty-seven percent of those merchants said the breaches resulted in both lost revenue and lost…

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Over 90 Students attend a joint Generation Change event on cyber-security

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Over 90 students from Banja Luka and Bihać attended today’s Student Talks on cyber-security and youth innovation at the Faculty of Mechanical Engineering in Banja Luka, as part of the European Union’s Generation Change project. Students from both the University of Banja Luka and the University of Bihać engaged in a fruitful discussion on cyber-security threats, the legislative framework for cybersecurity, and how to keep safe online.

“It was a real pleasure to speak with such a dynamic and engaging group of young people about cybersecurity. The importance of cybersecurity in today’s world, where the digital landscape shapes almost every aspect of our lives, cannot be overstated. It is crucial that the BiH authorities address this issue more comprehensively – currently, Bosnia and Herzegovina has neither a comprehensive legislative nor a strategic framework on cybersecurity. It also lacks an institutional set-up for cybersecurity. This creates vulnerabilities for citizens, institutions and businesses”, said Adebayo Babajide, Deputy Head of the EU Delegation to Bosnia and Herzegovina.

In today’s discussion with students other panellists were Damijan Sedar, Ambassador of the Republic of Slovenia to BiH, Azra Elezović from the Faculty of Electrical Engineering at the University of Banja Luka, Branko Petrović, a cyber-security expert and Damir Softić, a specialist in cyber security management.

During the discussion, students talked about the dangers that internet use poses for young people, whether young people can be innovators in prevention, and whether their creative ideas can make them actors supporting internet security. Following the event, students embarked on a city tour to explore the cultural and historic landmarks of Banja Luka.

“I believe it is extremely important to spread knowledge and awareness about ‘internet violence’, especially because we live in a time when everything is easily accessible to everyone. It was an honour and pleasure to attend today’s event and gain new information and knowledge from panellists. In line with the words of a popular saying ‘The world relies on the young’, I hope that young people in BiH will recognize…

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Change Healthcare’s stolen ‘private’ patient data leaked by ransomware group

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Health Care Notes: Change victim of second ransomware attack | Health Care

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Earlier this week, a second ransomware group came after Nashville-based clearing house Change Healthcare, according to Becker’s Hospital Review. Hackers known as Ransom Hub claim to possess Change data and are asking for payment, or else they would sell the information on the dark web.  

Change confirmed to Becker’s that it was “aware of the reports.”

Belmont opens center for health discipline collaboration 

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