Largest US Health Care Payment Processor , Still Reeling From Ransomware Attack.
On Feb. 21, UnitedHealth Group announced that its company, Change Healthcare, had been hit with ransomware called Alphv, NBC News reports. .
Alphv, which is said to have been created by cybercriminals who speak Russian, was also used in the attack on MGM Resorts last year.
Alphv, which is said to have been created by cybercriminals who speak Russian, was also used in the attack on MGM Resorts last year.
Though in that instance, the ransomware was said
to be installed by English-speaking hackers.
On Feb. 29, American Hospital Association CEO Rick Pollack called the newest attack
"the most serious incident of its kind leveled against a U.S. health care organization.".
Nine days into the attack on Change
Healthcare, a health care technology
company that is part of Optum and
owned by UnitedHealth Group, effects
are continuing to be felt throughout
the entire health care system, American Hospital Association CEO Rick Pollack, via statement.
Health care providers rely on Change Healthcare's program to manage payments and insurance claims, NBC News reports. .
Most of the company's systems have been taken offline to isolate the attack. .
The outage has caused issues with filling prescriptions and has prevented insurance companies from reimbursing providers, doctors say. .
According to UnitedHealth Group,
thousands of pharmacies are currently utilizing "offline processing workarounds.".
Change Health is working with
cybersecurity companies Mandiant
and Palo Alto to restore its systems.
The company handles a third of all
U.S. patient records and processes 15 billion transactions every year, NBC News reports.