The
UnitedHealth CEO
His admission did not sit well with
“This hack could have been stopped with cybersecurity 101,” Oregon Democratic Sen.
Multifactor authentication adds a second layer of security to password-protected accounts by having users enter an auto-generated code. It’s common on apps protecting sensitive data like bank accounts and meant to guard against hackers guessing passwords.
He told a separate House Energy and Commerce committee hearing Wednesday that hackers used “compromised credentials” that may have included stolen passwords to enter Change’s system.
The attack triggered a disruption of payment and claims processing around the country, stressing doctor’s offices and health care systems by interfering with their ability to file claims and get paid.
UnitedHealth quickly disconnected the affected systems to limit damage and paid a
“We’ve literally built this platform back from scratch so that we can reassure people that there are not elements of the old attacked environment within the new technology," Witty said, also noting that he was “deeply, deeply sorry” for the attack.
The CEO also told senators that all of the company's core systems were now fully functional. That included claims payment and pharmacy processing.
Witty said his company had been in the process of upgrading technology for Change, which it acquired in 2022, and he was “incredibly frustrated” to learn about the lack of multifactor authentication, which is a standard across UnitedHealth.
In March, the
The company said earlier this month that personal information that could cover a “substantial portion of people in America” may have been taken in the attack.
Company officials have said they see no signs that doctor charts or full medical histories were released after the attack. But they also have noted that it may take several months of analysis to identify and notify those who were affected. UnitedHealth is offering free credit monitoring and identity theft protection for two years.
Cybersecurity experts say ransomware attacks have increased substantially in recent years, especially in the health care sector.
Witty told senators UnitedHealth is “consistently” under attack. He said in prepared remarks that his company repels an attempted intrusion every 70 seconds.
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