The Change Healthcare cyberattack sent shock waves through the U.S. healthcare system as it demonstrated how easy the system is to attack through digital means. This whitepaper describes what happened, how people reacted, and what healthcare providers need to do to prevent a similar tragedy.
What Happened During the Attack
A hacking group named BlackCat attacked the company that helps to process medical claims, Change Healthcare, using the ransomware mechanism. The attack disrupted Change Healthcare’s systems, so they turned off the affected computers and other computers to prevent the hackers from spreading any further. This led to big problems in the pharmacies, doctors, and patients who failed to receive medicines in time.
Change Healthcare had to fall back on old methods, such as the paper form, in order to keep the operations running. This showed how many systems within the healthcare field still depend on outdated technology that is barely fighting against cyberattacks. The whitepaper delves into these issues and explains the merits of modern systems.
How People Responded to the Crisis
Change Healthcare, its parent company UnitedHealth, cybersecurity experts, and the government worked together to fix the mess. UnitedHealth hired tech specialists to figure out how the hackers got in and how much damage they caused. There’s talk that UnitedHealth paid $22 million in Bitcoin to the hackers, but this isn’t confirmed. The whitepaper discusses why paying ransoms is tricky—it might encourage more attacks and doesn’t always fix everything.
UnitedHealth also teamed up with the U.S. government, sharing info to help catch the hackers. The Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) stepped in with several fixes. They let healthcare providers use different companies to process claims, made it easier to get approvals for treatments, and sent money faster to doctors who were losing income. HHS also started an investigation on March 13, 2024, to check if Change Healthcare followed rules about protecting patient data. The whitepaper breaks down these efforts, showing how complicated it is to handle a cyberattack.
Weak Spots in Healthcare
The attack revealed big problems in healthcare. To begin with, most of the systems are old and not prepared for digital attacks, which is why Change Healthcare had to rely on paper forms. Second, patient data was at risk with the attack, meaning that improved security is required to protect personal information. Third, the attack also delayed the supply of medicines, an illustration of one problem bringing down the entire system. Finally, some noted the government was slow to take care of people, which pointed to the need for improved planning. These problems are explained in the whitepaper in terms that are easy to understand and emphasize the need for healthcare to get stronger.
Ideas for Better Policies
The whitepaper proposes methods of securing healthcare from cyberattacks. The current plans for the management of disasters are not suitable for digital attacks, which are more tricky and lead to problems later on. The National Cybersecurity Strategy and the NCIRP plan are old and need renovation. The government’s Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) is working on this, but it’s unclear how well it’s going. The whitepaper also says the government and healthcare companies need to share more information about threats to stop hackers faster. It suggests HHS should lead the way in sharing warnings with doctors and pharmacies. These ideas give a clear path to a safer future.
What Healthcare Providers Can Do
The whitepaper offers simple steps for healthcare providers to protect themselves. Train your staff to spot fake emails and use strong passwords. Put antivirus and firewall software on all computers and phones. Secure patient information through encryption so attackers can't even read it. Back up regularly and store securely. Have an attack plan if you're hit, and routinely scan your systems to identify vulnerabilities. Also, ensure any external companies you are dealing with have strong defenses. The whitepaper describes how to do each of these actions, demonstrating that they can keep your organization protected.
Why You Should Read the Full Whitepaper
The full whitepaper goes deeper, with detailed facts about the attack, expert tips on responding to cyberattacks, and ideas for new rules to protect healthcare. It also includes advice from Capline, a company that helps healthcare providers stay secure with things like safe data backups and staff training. By reading the whitepaper, you’ll learn how to keep your patients and business safe from hackers.
Don’t wait for another attack to take action. Visit us or call (888) 444-6041 to get the full whitepaper and learn about their tools for protecting healthcare practices. Download it now to start building a safer, stronger healthcare system!
