US prescription drug market paralyzed for 9 days (so far) by ransomware attack

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Nine days After A Russian-speaking Ransomware union took down THE the biggest WE health care payment processor, pharmacies, health care suppliers, And the patients were always interference has fill prescriptions For drugs, a lot of which are save lives.

On THURSDAY, UnitedHealth Band accused A famous Ransomware gang known both as AlphaV And Black Cat of piracy It is subsidiary company Optum. Optum provides A at national scale network called Change Health care, which allow health care suppliers has manage customer Payments And insurance complaints. With No easy path For pharmacies has calculate What costs were covered by insurance businesses, a lot had has turn has alternative services Or offline methods.

THE most serious incident of It is kind

Optum First of all disclosed on FEBRUARY 21 that It is services were down as A result of A "cyber security issue." It is service has has been paralyzed Never Since. Shortly Before This job went live on Ars, Optum said he had restored Change Health care service.

"Functioning with technology And business the partners, We to have with success completed essay with sellers And several retail pharmacy the partners For THE impacted transaction types," A update said. "As A result, We to have activated This service For all clients effective 1 p.m. CT, Friday, March 1, 2024.”

AlphaV East A of a lot unions that works below A ransomware as a service model, meaning affiliates TO DO THE real piracy of victims And SO to use THE AlphaV Ransomware And Infrastructure has Encrypt files And negotiate A ransom. THE evenings SO share THE product.

In December, THE FBI And It is equivalent In partner countries announcement they had grasped a lot of THE AlphaV Infrastructure In A move that was destined has disturb THE band. AlphaV quickly asserted he had not entered It is site, leading has A tug of war between law enforcement And THE band. THE paralyzing of Change Health care East A clear sign that AlphaV keep on going has laid A threat has critical rooms of THE WE infrastructure.

"THE cyber attack against Change Health care that began on Feb. 21 East THE most serious incident of It is kind leveled against A WE health care organization," said Grindstone Yellow place, president And CEO of THE American Hospital Association. Quoting Change Health care data, Yellow place said that THE service process 15 billion transactions involving eligibility checks, pharmacy the operations, And complaints transmissions And Payments. "All of these to have has been disturbed has variable degrees on THE pass several days And THE complete impact East always not known. »

Optum estimated that as of Monday, more that 90 percent of roughly 70,000 pharmacies In THE WE had amended how they treaty electronic complaints as A result of THE breakdown. THE business went on has say that only A little number of the patients to have has been unable has get their prescriptions filled.

THE ladder And length of THE Change Health care breakdown emphasize THE devastating effects Ransomware has on critical Infrastructure. Three years There is, members affiliated with A different Ransomware band known as Dark side cause A five days breakdown of Colonial Pipeline, which book roughly 45 percent of THE East The side oil some products, including gasoline, diesel fuel, And jet fuel. THE interruption cause fuel shortages that sent airlines, consumers, And filling stations interference.

Many Ransomware groups to have Also taken down entire hospital networks In breakdowns that In a few case to have threat patient care.

AlphaV has has been A key donor has THE Ransomware threat. THE FBI said In December THE band had collection more that $300 million In ransoms. A of THE better known victims of AlphaV Ransomware was Caesars Entertainment And casinos possesses by MGM, which brought operations In a lot The ace Las Vegas casinos has A stop. A band of Above all teenagers East suspected of orchestrate that violation.