UnitedHealth’s cyberattack should be a ‘wake-up call’ for healthcare

Healthcare operations across the US were hit hard due to a cyberattack on a UnitedHealth Group subsidiary on 21st February. The attack was executed by a Russian-backed ransomware group, BlackCat, causing interruptions in claims processing for hospitals, doctors’ offices, and pharmacies. The US Health and Human Services Department is now assisting in finding alternate claims processing platforms. UnitedHealth did not comment on whether it paid a ransom of $22 million in Bitcoin demanded by the attackers.