The culprits responsible for the Change Healthcare ransomware attack recently received a $22 million payment.
A recent ransomware attack targeting medical firm Change Healthcare has caused widespread disruptions across pharmacies in the US, leading to serious delays in the delivery of prescription drugs nationwide. The hackers behind the attack, known as AlphV or BlackCat, have allegedly received a $22 million ransom payment, according to a dispute within the criminal underground.
On March 1, a Bitcoin address connected to AlphV received 350 bitcoins, equivalent to $22 million at the time. Two days later, an affiliate of AlphV posted on a cybercriminal forum that the group had cheated them out of their share of the ransom from Change Healthcare. The affiliate pointed to a publicly visible $22 million transaction on Bitcoin’s blockchain as proof.
Security researchers suggest that this transaction likely indicates that Change Healthcare has paid the ransom to AlphV. If true, it would not only represent a significant payday for the hackers but also set a dangerous precedent for the health care industry. Ransomware payments fund future attacks and encourage other hackers to target the same sector.
The affiliate who posted evidence of the payment warned others to be cautious when dealing with AlphV, claiming that the group had kept the entire ransom amount for themselves instead of sharing it as agreed. This development underscores the profitability of targeting the health care sector for ransomware attacks and the need for increased cybersecurity measures to protect sensitive data.
