UnitedHealth Group and Change Healthcare Cyber Attack: Millions of Personal Data at Risk

Change Healthcare, a subsidiary of UnitedHealth Group, one of the leading healthcare providers in the US, suffered a large-scale cyberattack. Attackers gained access to the personal and health information of millions of users. Data affected included names, addresses, dates of birth and protected health information (PHI). UnitedHealth Group acted swiftly after the incident, announcing that it would offer affected individuals free identity theft protection and credit monitoring services for two years.

Following the attack, Change Healthcare worked hard to quickly get its services back up and running. The company restored access to services for the majority of healthcare providers and patients. In particular, critical services such as medication procurement and payment processing were prioritized. 80% of Change Healthcare's services have been restored following the attack and full functionality is expected within a few weeks.

Some of the precautions we should take to protect ourselves from this type of attack;

• Use strong and unique passwords and change them regularly. Avoid sharing passwords and use different passwords for each account.

• If possible, they should use two-factor authentication, adding an additional layer of security to their account. This will help make their accounts more secure.

• They should not open unknown or suspicious emails and should not click on links from unknown sources. Be careful when browsing the internet and choose trusted sites.

• Keep their security software up to date and scan their computers regularly. This will help detect and block malware.