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UnitedHealth hid its Change Healthcare data breach notice for months
Change Healthcare, a healthtech company owned by UnitedHealth, has been accused of hiding its data breach notice from the public for several months. The company’s announcement came after the security editor at TechCrunch discovered that the webpage containing information about the incident had been deliberately hidden from search engines.
According to reports, Change Healthcare announced in February 2024 that it had lost over 100 million people’s sensitive health data due to a ransomware attack. However, it has only just started notifying affected individuals four months later, sparking criticism and concern among experts.
A spokesperson for UnitedHealth, the parent company of Change Healthcare, declined to comment on the reason behind the decision to hide the webpage from search engines. The Department of Health and Human Services’ Office for Civil Rights, which is responsible for overseeing federal investigations into data breaches involving protected health information, also failed to provide a statement.
The news comes at a time when cybersecurity threats are increasingly becoming a major concern in the healthcare industry. As a result, experts warn that the lack of transparency from companies like Change Healthcare can lead to significant harm and exploitation among affected individuals.
In related news, some U.S. states have stepped up to protect their residents by alerting them to stay vigilant against identity theft and fraud following the data breach.
Source: techcrunch.com
