UnitedHealth, one of the largest health insurance providers in the U.S., has confirmed that a ransomware attack in February on its Change Healthcare unit affected approximately 190 million Americans—nearly double the previously estimated figure, TechCrunch reports.
In a statement released after markets closed on Friday, UnitedHealth disclosed the significant scale of the breach, which targeted Change Healthcare, a subsidiary responsible for managing healthcare data and payment processing.
This breach marks one of the largest data leaks in recent U.S. history, exposing sensitive personal information and heightening risks of identity theft and financial fraud.
Analysts emphasize that the incident underscores the urgent need to strengthen data security in the healthcare sector. UnitedHealth stated, “We are actively investigating the cause of this breach and implementing robust measures to prevent such attacks in the future.”
Experts advise affected individuals to remain vigilant about the security of their personal and financial information in the wake of this unprecedented breach.
