In February 2024, US insurance company UnitedHealth, suffered an unprecedented ransomware cyberattack, affecting 100 million people. The hackers, identified as the BlackCat group, stole 4-8 terabytes of highly sensitive data, including medical records, test results, banking information, as well as Social Security numbers and insurance plan information. Following the theft, hackers rendered the company’s computers unusable and demanded a record ransom of $22 million.
Faced with the urgency of the situation and the paralysis of its IT systems, UnitedHealth paid the ransom. Unfortunately, the stolen data was then redistributed to another group of hackers, who are once again blackmailing UnitedHealth. This double extortion could cost the company more than $3 billion in management fees, financial losses and repairs.
Founder of ZENDATA Cybersecurity, Switzerland has not experienced an incident of this magnitude, but remains vulnerable, particularly for small clinics and medical practices that are often poorly protected. The medical world is particularly exposed because of its dependence on third-party systems, connected objects and obsolete software. Hackers know that medical facilities are critical, which increases their chances of obtaining ransomware.
Faced with the unique challenges of the medical sector, ZENDATA Cybersecurity offers tailor-made solutions to protect your critical data.
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