UnitedHealth says substantial proportion of Americans information hit by cyberattack [Video]

(The Hill) — The cyberattack on Change Healthcare in February targeted the data of “a substantial proportion of people in America,” UnitedHealth Group (UHG) said this week, with the company confirming it paid a ransom in an effort to protect patient information.

“Based on initial targeted data sampling to date, the company has found files containing protected health information (PHI) or personally identifiable information (PII), which could cover a substantial proportion of people in America,” UHG said in an update on Monday regarding the attack on its subsidiary.

“To date, the company has not seen evidence of exfiltration of materials such as doctors’ charts or full medical histories among the data.”

Due to the scope of the attack, UHG said it will likely take “several months” to identify and notify customers who were impacted. The company has launched a websitewhere customers can get information and has set up call centers to “offer free credit …