A cyberattack on Change Healthcare, a division of UnitedHealth Group, has caused a nationwide outage in the computer network used to transmit data between healthcare providers and insurance companies. The disruption is expected to last at least through the day according to Optum.
Pharmacies around the country are having trouble processing some prescriptions due to this incident.
A cyberattack on Change Healthcare, a division of UnitedHealth Group, has caused a nationwide outage in the computer network used to transmit data between healthcare providers and insurance companies. The disruption is expected to last at least through the day according to Optum, the IT company for Change Healthcare. Pharmacies around the country are having trouble processing some prescriptions due to this incident.
The American Hospital Association released a statement urging health-care organizations to disconnect from Optum until it is deemed safe to reconnect. Baylor Scott & White Health in Bryan, Texas has not been impacted by the cybersecurity incident and immediately severed known connections identified by Change Healthcare as at risk or potentially involved with the issues.
Change Healthcare offers solutions for payment and revenue cycle management and services more than 100 million patients in the U.S., according to its website. The company became aware of a cyber security issue affecting its networks on Wednesday morning on the East Coast before disconnecting its systems.
Most cyberattacks take about 280 days to trace where they are, what happened. We have learned that this is likely a foreign encounter. This isn't new. We saw Sony get hacked by North Korea. We saw the Colonial Pipeline shut down just a couple of years ago with these ransomware attacks. We're seeing ransomware attacks against our hospitals.
The legal expert further warned, What we need is law enforcement to go out and do its job. We need less talk, more prosecutions.
Identity theft experts say data breaches are on the rise and consumers need to take preventative steps such as having a unique password for every website and app or freezing their credit to prevent identity theft.
, Change Healthcare's systems are down for a fourth straight day after parent company UnitedHealth Group disclosed that a suspected cybersecurity threat actor gained access to part of its information technology network on Wednesday.
, Optum services more than 100 million patients in the U.S., according to its website, and Change Healthcare offers solutions for payment and revenue cycle management.
, The American Hospital Association released a statement Thursday urging health-care organizations to disconnect from Optum until it is deemed safe to reconnect.
Accuracy
UnitedHealth identified a 'suspected nation-state associated' actor behind the attack.
Change Healthcare processes prescriptions to insurance for tens of thousands of pharmacies nationwide and was compromised by hackers who gained access to some of its systems.
Deception
(50%)
The article is deceptive in several ways. Firstly, the author claims that Change Healthcare's systems are down for a fourth straight day after parent company UnitedHealth Group disclosed that a suspected cybersecurity threat actor gained access to part of its information technology network on Wednesday. However, this statement is misleading because it implies that the attack was successful and caused significant damage to Change Healthcare's systems. In reality, the impacted systems were isolated and disconnected immediately upon detection of the threat by UnitedHealth Group. Secondly, the author claims that Optum services more than 100 million patients in the U.S., according to its website, but this statement is also misleading because it implies that all of these patients are affected by the cyberattack on Change Healthcare's systems. In reality, only a subset of Optum's systems were impacted and there is no indication that any patient data was compromised. Finally, the author claims that UnitedHealth identified a 'suspected nation-state-associated actor behind the attack', but this statement is also misleading because it implies that Change Healthcare's systems were targeted specifically by a foreign government. In reality, there is no evidence to support this claim and it is possible that the threat actor was not associated with any specific nation.
The article claims that Change Healthcare's systems are down for a fourth straight day after parent company UnitedHealth Group disclosed that a suspected cybersecurity threat actor gained access to part of its information technology network on Wednesday. However, this statement is misleading because it implies that the attack was successful and caused significant damage to Change Healthcare's systems.
The article claims that Optum services more than 100 million patients in the U.S., according to its website, but this statement is also misleading because it implies that all of these patients are affected by the cyberattack on Change Healthcare's systems. In reality, only a subset of Optum's systems were impacted and there is no indication that any patient data was compromised.
The article claims that UnitedHealth identified a 'suspected nation-state-associated actor behind the attack', but this statement is also misleading because it implies that Change Healthcare's systems were targeted specifically by a foreign government. In reality, there is no evidence to support this claim and it is possible that the threat actor was not associated with any specific nation.
Fallacies
(85%)
The article contains several logical fallacies. The author uses an appeal to authority by stating that the suspected cybersecurity threat actor is a nation-state without providing any evidence or context for this claim. Additionally, the author quotes CVS Health and the American Hospital Association as sources but does not provide any information about their expertise in cybersecurity or their involvement in investigating the attack. The article also contains inflammatory rhetoric by stating that Change Healthcare's systems are down for a fourth straight day without providing any context for how this is affecting patients or healthcare providers. Finally, there is no evidence of dichotomous depiction in the article.
The author uses an appeal to authority by stating that the suspected cybersecurity threat actor is a nation-state without providing any evidence or context for this claim.
Bias
(85%)
The article contains multiple examples of bias. The author uses language that dehumanizes the attacker by referring to them as a 'suspected nation-state associated actor'. This is an example of religious and ideological bias. Additionally, the use of phrases such as 'highly confident' and 'immediately upon detection' are used to convey a sense of security when in fact there may be no evidence that Optum or UnitedHealthcare systems have not been impacted by the attack. This is an example of deception and misleading information.
The author uses language that dehumanizes the attacker by referring to them as a 'suspected nation-state associated actor'.
The use of phrases such as 'highly confident' and 'immediately upon detection' are used to convey a sense of security when in fact there may be no evidence that Optum or UnitedHealthcare systems have not been impacted by the attack.
Site
Conflicts
Of
Interest (50%)
There are multiple examples of conflicts of interest in this article. The author has a financial tie to UnitedHealth Group Inc., as it is the parent company of Optum and Change Healthcare systems, which were impacted by the cyberattack.
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Change Healthcare systems ✓ impacted by the attack
filing said Friday.
`IT networkl3a22419d7e3a5b8f79baadfc4cf
(nation-state associated)
parent company
(parent company UnitedHealth Group disclosed that a suspected cybersecurity threat actor gained access to part of its information technology network on Wednesday).
(suspected nation-state-associated `actor)
UnitedHealth
Author
Conflicts
Of
Interest (50%)
Ashley Capoot has a conflict of interest on the topics of cybersecurity threats and health-care companies. The article reports that UnitedHealth Group Inc., Change Healthcare, Optum (a subsidiary of UnitedHealth), and CVS Health have been impacted by a suspected nation-state associated cyberattack. Additionally, the author does not disclose any financial ties to these companies.
UnitedHealth did not share any additional information with CNBC beyond the update.
AT&T service suffered a nationwide outage on Thursday morning, impacting several major cities including Atlanta, Chicago, Houston and Miami.
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UnitedHealth identified a 'suspected nation-state-associated' actor behind the attack.
Optum services more than 100 million patients in the U.S., according to its website, and Change Healthcare offers solutions for payment and revenue cycle management.
Accuracy
Pharmacies across the United States are having difficulty processing prescriptions due to a cyberattack on Change Healthcare.
Deception
(50%)
The article is deceptive in several ways. Firstly, the author claims that cyberattacks are increasing and continue to increase without providing any evidence or statistics to support this claim. Secondly, the author quotes Carl Szabo as saying that less than 0.05% of cyberattacks get prosecuted which implies a high rate of impunity for attackers when in fact it is not accurate according to recent studies. Thirdly, the article reports on two separate incidents (AT&T and pharmacy outages) without connecting them or providing any context as to how they are related. Lastly, the author uses sensationalist language such as 'increase' and 'continue' which creates a sense of urgency without providing any concrete information.
The main concern that I’m seeing is these cyberattacks continue to increase,
Fallacies
(85%)
The article contains several fallacies. The author uses an appeal to authority when stating that the government is not doing its job in prosecuting cyberattacks. This statement implies that there is a clear and objective standard for what constitutes 'doing one's job', which may not be accurate or applicable in all situations. Additionally, the author makes a false dilemma by suggesting that either pharmacies are serving sick customers due to an ongoing cyberattack or they are not doing their jobs properly. This oversimplifies complex issues and ignores other potential factors at play.
The main concern that I'm seeing is these cyberattacks continue to increase, and the government is just going to try and pass the buck,
Bias
(85%)
The author of the article is expressing a strong opinion that cyberattacks will continue to increase and go unprosecuted. The author also implies that the government is responsible for this issue by not doing its job in prosecuting those who carry out these attacks. This shows a clear bias towards holding the government accountable for cybersecurity issues.
The main concern that I'm seeing is these cyberattacks continue to increase, and the government is just going to try and pass the buck,
Site
Conflicts
Of
Interest (50%)
The author of the article has a conflict of interest with Change Healthcare and Carl Szabo. The author is also an expert in cyberattacks and infrastructure which could compromise their ability to report objectively on these topics.
Author
Conflicts
Of
Interest (0%)
The author has a conflict of interest on the topic of cyberattacks as they are quoted saying that they fear an increase and continuation in wake of pharmacy and AT&T outages. The author also mentions Change Healthcare which is a company that provides technology solutions for healthcare providers.
Pharmacies across the United States are having difficulty processing prescriptions due to a cyberattack on Change Healthcare
`Change Healthcareb processes prescriptions to insurance for tens of thousands of pharmacies nationwide and was compromised by hackers who gained access to some of its systems
The cyberattack began Wednesday and is expected to last at least throughout the day Thursday
Some pharmacies have confirmed experiencing issues with prescription claims processing due to this cyberattack
Accuracy
UnitedHealth identified a nation-state associated cyber security threat actor had gained access to some of the Change Healthcare information technology systems and isolated the impacted systems in response
Deception
(50%)
The article is deceptive in several ways. Firstly, it states that pharmacies across America are having trouble processing prescriptions because of a cyberattack on UnitedHealth's Change Healthcare business. However, the article does not provide any evidence to support this claim. The only information provided is that some pharmacies were unable to process prescriptions due to the attack and that others experienced delays in processing or refills. Secondly, the article states that UnitedHealth identified a suspected nation-state associated cyber security threat actor had gained access to some of its systems. However, this statement is not supported by any evidence provided in the article. The only information given is that UnitedHealth has isolated the impacted systems and notified law enforcement and is working quickly to restore them. Finally, the article states that medical facilities should disconnect from UnitedHealth's network until the issue is resolved because they might have exposure to the same attackers that breached Change Healthcare. However, this statement contradicts information provided in other parts of the article which suggests that only Change Healthcare was affected by the cyberattack and not any other systems across UnitedHealth Group.
The article states that pharmacies across America are having trouble processing prescriptions because of a cyberattack on UnitedHealth's Change Healthcare business. However, no evidence is provided to support this claim.
Fallacies
(70%)
The article contains several fallacies. The first is an appeal to authority when it states that UnitedHealth identified a suspected nation-state associated cyber security threat actor had gained access to some of the Change Healthcare information technology systems. This statement implies that this identification was made by experts and should be taken as fact, but there is no evidence provided in the article to support this claim.
UnitedHealth identified a suspected nation-state associated cyber security threat actor had gained access to some of the Change Healthcare information technology systems.
Bias
(100%)
None Found At Time Of
Publication
Site
Conflicts
Of
Interest (50%)
David Goldman and Caroll Alvarado have financial ties to UnitedHealth and Change Healthcare as they are both part of the parent company Diversey. Additionally, GoodRx is a competitor in the pharmaceutical industry which could affect their reporting on this topic.
Author
Conflicts
Of
Interest (50%)
David Goldman and Caroll Alvarado have conflicts of interest on the topics of pharmacies, cyberattack, UnitedHealth, Change Healthcare and prescriptions. They also have a financial tie to GoodRx which is mentioned in the article.
The article mentions that hackers stole sensitive data from several major insurance companies including UnitedHealth and Change Healthcare.
, Pharmacies around the country are having trouble processing some prescriptions due to this incident.
The disruption caused by this incident is expected to last through the day and consumers need to take preventative steps such as having a unique password for every website and app or freezing their credit to prevent identity theft.
Optum services more than 100 million patients in the U.S., according to its website, and Change Healthcare offers solutions for payment and revenue cycle management.
The American Hospital Association released a statement Thursday urging health-care organizations to disconnect from Optum until it is deemed safe to reconnect.
Accuracy
A cyberattack has impacted one of the largest healthcare technology companies in the United States, Change Healthcare, a division of UnitedHealth Group.
Pharmacies around the country are having trouble processing some prescriptions due to this incident.
The Baylor Scott & White network was not affected by this incident and severed known connections identified as at risk or potentially involved with the issues.
Optum, I-T company for Change Healthcare is giving updates online about the cybersecurity issue.
<strong>Contradiction:</strong> The disruption caused by this incident is expected to last through the day and consumers need to take preventative steps such as having a unique password for every website and app or freezing their credit to prevent identity theft.
The American Hospital Association has recommended all health care organizations potentially exposed, including those that have not been affected, to consider disconnection from UnitedHealth Group's system.
Deception
(30%)
The article is deceptive in several ways. Firstly, the author claims that a cyberattack has impacted one of the largest healthcare technology companies in the United States when no evidence is provided to support this claim. Secondly, the author quotes Baylor Scott & White Health stating that their network was not affected by Change Healthcare's cybersecurity incident despite being part of UnitedHealth Group. This statement contradicts information from other sources and therefore cannot be trusted as accurate. Lastly, the article suggests that consumers can prevent identity theft by freezing their credit but fails to mention any potential risks or drawbacks associated with this action.
The author claims a cyberattack has impacted one of the largest healthcare technology companies in the United States without providing evidence.
Fallacies
(75%)
The article contains several fallacies. The author uses an appeal to authority when stating that the American Hospital Association has recommended all health care organizations potentially exposed to consider disconnection from UnitedHealth Group's system. This statement is not supported by any evidence and should be taken with a grain of salt.
The cyberattack against a division of UnitedHealth Group reportedly caused a nationwide outage of a computer network used to transmit data between health care providers and insurance companies.
Bias
(75%)
The article contains a statement from the American Hospital Association that recommends all health care organizations potentially exposed to disconnect from UnitedHealth Group's system. This is an example of religious bias as it implies that there is something inherently wrong with being connected to a specific company or organization.
]
The Baylor Scott & White network has not been impacted by the Change Healthcare cybersecurity incident.
Site
Conflicts
Of
Interest (50%)
Heather Kovar has a conflict of interest on the topic of cyberattacks as she is reporting for Change Healthcare and UnitedHealth Group which are healthcare technology companies that may be affected by such attacks. Additionally, Optum and Baylor Scott & White Health are also mentioned in the article but it's not clear if they have any financial ties with these companies.
Change Healthcare is a healthcare technology company that provides software solutions for hospitals and health systems. UnitedHealth Group is another healthcare technology company that owns Optum, which provides IT services to healthcare providers.
Author
Conflicts
Of
Interest (50%)
Heather Kovar has conflicts of interest on the topics of cyberattack and healthcare technology companies. She is an employee of UnitedHealth Group which owns Optum, a company that was affected by the nationwide outage of computer network.
Change Healthcare is a part of insurer UnitedHealth Group's Optum business
The outage is expected to continue through the weekend according to a press release from the Department of Vermont Health Access
Optum services more than 100 million patients in the U.S.
Accuracy
A cyberattack has impacted pharmacies and providers across Vermont and New England as Change Healthcare, which operates Vermont's Medicaid pharmacy claims system, was hit by the attack
Deception
(50%)
The article is deceptive in several ways. Firstly, the author claims that Change Healthcare operates Vermont's Medicaid pharmacy claims system when it actually only processes prescription drug claims for Medicaid beneficiaries. Secondly, the author states that patient information was not compromised during the cyberattack but does not provide any evidence to support this claim. Lastly, the article uses sensationalism by stating that a 'cyberattack' has impacted pharmacies across Vermont and New England without providing any context or details about what exactly happened.
The article contains an appeal to authority fallacy by stating that Change Healthcare is part of insurer UnitedHealth Group's Optum business. This statement implies that the cyberattack against Change Healthcare affects not only Vermont but also New England and potentially other regions where Optum operates. Additionally, the article uses inflammatory rhetoric when it describes the outage as a
