A massive ransomware attack on UnitedHealth-owned health tech company Change Healthcare has resulted in the exposure of sensitive medical data of at least 100 million patients, making it one of the largest data breaches in U.S. history. The attack, which occurred in February, was carried out by a Russian-speaking ransomware gang known as ALPHV/BlackCat, and was only recently confirmed by UnitedHealth.

The breach has significant implications for the healthcare tech industry, highlighting the vulnerability of sensitive medical data to cyberattacks. Change Healthcare, which processes billing and insurance for hundreds of thousands of hospitals, pharmacies, and medical practices across the U.S., collects and stores vast amounts of highly sensitive medical data on patients.

The attack began on February 21, when Change Healthcare's systems were shut down to isolate intruders, causing widespread outages across the healthcare sector. The company later confirmed that the cyberattack was the work of a ransomware gang, which demanded a ransom in exchange for the stolen data. UnitedHealth paid a ransom of $22 million, but the gang disappeared, and the stolen data was still at large.

The breach has sparked widespread disruption across the U.S. healthcare sector, with many patients unable to access their medical records or receive treatment. The incident has also raised concerns about the lack of transparency and communication from UnitedHealth and Change Healthcare, with many affected individuals only recently receiving notification of the breach.

The attack highlights the need for healthcare tech companies to prioritize cybersecurity and protect sensitive medical data from cyber threats. The incident is a wake-up call for the industry, emphasizing the importance of robust security measures to prevent such breaches in the future.