In our constantly linked society, data breaches have become a continual worry, and 2024 has been no exception. Cyberattacks have been directed at a wide range of businesses and people, including government institutions and tech companies. By exploring the significant data breaches that have made headlines this year, this blog highlights critical security flaws and offers insights into the changing threat landscape.
In February 2024, pharmacies nationwide experienced problems due to a fresh ransomware outbreak. The data of 100 million people was compromised by this attachment, which was initially directed at Change Healthcare, a UnitedHealth Group company that handles financial matters for healthcare providers. Few people anticipated this attack to be significant because UnitedHealth Group is the biggest healthcare organization in the world by revenue, and their defenses ought to have been strong enough. Unfortunately, this was not the case, and because the login credentials lacked multi-factor authentication, the attackers were able to get access to the Change Healthcare employee system.
Who perpetrated the data breach?
Change Healthcare verified that the BlackCat ransomware gang was responsible for the data compromise following a comprehensive investigation. In a different dark web post, the organization also claimed the attachment, stating that millions of the company’s patient and health data were among the plunder. The group did not explain the purpose of the breach and has not disclosed its intentions, but it stands to reason that some of the data will be used for identity theft and other crimes, so anyone that has now or in the past used Change Healthcare or any of their subsidiaries should be on alert and lock down their personal information and credit to avoid unwanted surprises.
What is a data breach?
Any security event when unauthorized parties get access to private or sensitive data, such as corporate data (customer records, intellectual property, financial information) or personal data (Social Security numbers, bank account numbers, healthcare data), is referred to as a data breach.
