On Wednesday, the U.S. State Department announced a reward of up to $10 million for information regarding the ransomware group known as "Black Cat." This group hacked the technology unit of "United Health" and disrupted insurance payments nationwide. The department stated in the reward announcement: "The Black Cat ransomware group (also known as ALPHV) has breached the computer networks of critical infrastructure sectors in the United States and around the world."
Last week, United Health announced it had begun processing accumulated medical claims exceeding $14 billion after restoring its services following the cyberattack, which caused widespread disruption that began in late February. The technology unit of United Health Care plays a crucial role in handling payments from insurance companies to medical providers, and the interruption caused by the cyberattack led, in some cases, to patients and doctors paying for medical services themselves.
The attack had a severe impact on community health centers serving over 30 million patients who are low-income or uninsured. Earlier this month, hackers stated that the company had paid a ransom of $22 million in an attempt to restore its systems, without confirming whether they had resumed the company's services after receiving the money. Shortly after the breach, the group posted a false statement on its website, claiming that authorities had managed to halt its activities, in an attempt to create the impression that its operations had stopped.
