Technology
UnitedHealth cyberattack exposes 190 million in largest US healthcare data breach
UnitedHealth’s Change Healthcare unit suffered a data breach in February 2024, the news of which surfaced Feb. 21.
Initially reported to have affected around 100 million individuals, the U.S. health insurance giant has now revealed that the actual number is significantly higher: 190 million. This makes it the largest breach of medical data in U.S. history, affecting nearly half the country’s population.
A breach of this magnitude can have devastating consequences for the American people as malicious actors could exploit the data for a range of attacks if it finds its way to the dark web.
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A doctor looking at patient’s private information (Kurt “CyberGuy” Knutsson)
The updated impact assessment
UnitedHealth confirmed on Friday, Jan. 24, 2025, that the ransomware attack on its Change Healthcare unit affected approximately 190 million people in the United States. The company had previously estimated the number of affected individuals to be around 100 million in its preliminary analysis filed with the Office for Civil Rights, a division of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services that investigates data breaches.
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UnitedHealth stated that the majority of those impacted have already been notified, either directly or through substitute notice. The final tally of affected individuals will be confirmed and submitted to the Office for Civil Rights at a later date.
The company tells CyberGuy it is “not aware of any misuse of individuals’ information as a result of this incident and has not seen electronic medical record databases appear in the data during the analysis.” However, UnitedHealth did not disclose when it became aware of the additional 90 million victims, how the revised figure was determined or what changes led to the updated number.
Illustration of a hacker at work (Kurt “CyberGuy” Knutsson)
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What you need to know about the data breach
The cyberattack on Change Healthcare in February caused widespread disruptions across the U.S. healthcare sector, as the company took its systems offline to contain the breach. This shutdown impacted critical services such as claims processing, payments and data sharing, which many healthcare providers rely on.
The stolen data varied by individual but included a broad range of personal and sensitive information, such as names, addresses, dates of birth, phone numbers, email addresses and government ID numbers, including Social Security, driver’s license and passport details.
Plus, hackers may have accessed health-related information, including diagnoses, medications, test results, imaging records, care and treatment plans, and health insurance details. Financial and banking information tied to claims and payment data was also reportedly compromised.
The breach was the result of a ransomware attack carried out by ALPHV/BlackCat, a Russian-speaking ransomware and extortion group. The attack, a form of malware intrusion, locks victims out of their data unless a ransom is paid. ALPHV/BlackCat later took credit for the attack.
During a House hearing in April, Change Healthcare admitted that the breach was made possible due to inadequate security measures, specifically the absence of two-factor authentication to protect its systems.
Illustration of a hacker at work (Kurt “CyberGuy” Knutsson)
FROM TIKTOK TO TROUBLE: HOW YOUR ONLINE DATA CAN BE WEAPONIZED AGAINST YOU
6 ways to protect yourself from Change Healthcare data breach
1. Remove your personal information from the internet: The breach has exposed sensitive personal data, making it essential to reduce your online footprint. While no service can guarantee complete data removal, a reputable data removal service can significantly limit your exposure. These services systematically monitor and erase your personal information from numerous websites and data brokers. Check out my top picks for data removal services here.
2. Be wary of mailbox communications: With addresses among the compromised data, scammers may exploit this breach to send fraudulent letters. Be aware of mail claiming missed deliveries, account suspensions or security alerts. Always verify the authenticity of such communications before responding or taking action.
3. Be cautious of phishing attempts and use strong antivirus software: Scammers may use your compromised email or phone number to target you with phishing attacks. Be wary of messages asking for personal information or containing suspicious links. To protect yourself, ensure strong antivirus software is installed on all your devices. Get my picks for the best 2025 antivirus protection winners for your Windows, Mac, Android and iOS devices.
4. Monitor your accounts: Given the scope of this breach, regular monitoring of your bank accounts, credit card statements and other financial accounts is critical. Look for unauthorized transactions or suspicious activity and immediately report any issues to your bank or credit card provider.
5. Recognize and report a Social Security scam: If your Social Security number is exposed, you could become a target for related scams. Official communication regarding Social Security issues usually comes via mail, not phone calls or emails. Learn more about spotting and reporting scams by visiting the Social Security Administration’s scam information page.
6. Invest in identity theft protection: Data breaches happen every day, and most never make the headlines, but with an identity theft protection service, you’ll be notified if and when you are affected. Identity theft companies can monitor personal information like your Social Security number, phone number and email address and alert you if it is being sold on the dark web or being used to open an account. They can also assist you in freezing your bank and credit card accounts to prevent further unauthorized use by criminals. See my tips and best picks on how to protect yourself from identity theft.
MASSIVE SECURITY FLAW PUTS MOST POPULAR BROWSERS AT RISK ON MAC
Kurt’s key takeaway
It’s surprising that a company of UnitedHealth’s scale failed to implement even basic cybersecurity measures when handling customer data. A breach affecting 190 million people – nearly half of the U.S. population – is staggering, leaving almost anyone at risk of becoming a target for hackers. While the company is still assessing the full extent of the breach, you can take precautions now by being cautious with any unknown links or unsolicited calls. Bad actors may use a variety of tactics to cause harm.
Do you think these companies are doing enough to protect your data, and is the government doing enough to catch those behind cyberattacks? Let us know by writing us at Cyberguy.com/Contact.
For more of my tech tips and security alerts, subscribe to my free CyberGuy Report Newsletter by heading to Cyberguy.com/Newsletter.
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Technology
Here’s your first look at Kratos in Amazon’s God of War show
Amazon has slowly been teasing out casting details for its live-action adaptation of God of War, and now we have our first look at the show. It’s a single image but a notable one showing protagonist Kratos and his son Atreus. The characters are played by Ryan Hurst and Callum Vinson, respectively, and they look relatively close to their video game counterparts.
There aren’t a lot of other details about the show just yet, but this is Amazon’s official description:
The God of War series storyline follows father and son Kratos and Atreus as they embark on a journey to spread the ashes of their wife and mother, Faye. Through their adventures, Kratos tries to teach his son to be a better god, while Atreus tries to teach his father how to be a better human.
That sounds a lot like the recent soft reboot of the franchise, which started with 2018’s God of War and continued through Ragnarök in 2022. For the Amazon series, Ronald D. Moore, best-known for his work on For All Mankind and Battlestar Galactica, will serve as showrunner. The rest of the cast includes: Mandy Patinkin (Odin), Ed Skrein (Baldur), Max Parker (Heimdall), Ólafur Darri Ólafsson (Thor), Teresa Palmer (Sif), Alastair Duncan (Mimir), Jeff Gulka (Sindri), and Danny Woodburn (Brok).
While production is underway on the God of War series, there’s no word on when it might start streaming.
Technology
300,000 Chrome users hit by fake AI extensions
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Your web browser may feel like a safe place, especially when you install helpful tools that promise to make your life easier. But security researchers have uncovered a dangerous campaign in which more than 300,000 people installed Chrome extensions pretending to be artificial intelligence (AI) assistants. Instead of helping, these fake tools secretly collect sensitive information like your emails, passwords and browsing activity.
They used familiar names like ChatGPT, Gemini and AI Assistant. If you use Chrome and have installed any AI-related extension, your personal information may already be exposed. Even worse, some of these malicious extensions are still available today, putting more people at risk without their knowing.
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More than 300,000 Chrome users installed fake AI extensions that secretly harvested sensitive data. (Kurt “CyberGuy” Knutsson)
What you need to know about fake AI extensions
Security researchers at browser security company LayerX discovered a large campaign involving 30 malicious Chrome extensions disguised as AI-powered assistants (via BleepingComputer). Together, these extensions were installed more than 300,000 times by unsuspecting users.
Some of the most popular extensions included names like AI Sidebar with 70,000 users, AI Assistant with 60,000 users, ChatGPT Translate with 30,000 users, and Google Gemini with 10,000 users. Another extension called Gemini AI Sidebar had 80,000 users before it was removed.
These extensions were distributed through the official Chrome Web Store, which made them appear legitimate and trustworthy. Even more concerning, researchers found that many of these extensions were connected to the same malicious server, showing they were part of a coordinated effort.
While some extensions have since been removed, others remain available. This means new users could still unknowingly install them and expose their personal data. Here’s the list of the affected extensions:
- AI Assistant
- Llama
- Gemini AI Sidebar
- AI Sidebar
- ChatGPT Sidebar
- Grok
- Asking ChatGPT
- ChatGBT
- Chat Bot GPT
- Grok Chatbot
- Chat With Gemini
- XAI
- Google Gemini
- Ask Gemini
- AI Letter Generator
- AI Message Generator
- AI Translator
- AI For Translation
- AI Cover Letter Generator
- AI Image Generator ChatGPT
- Ai Wallpaper Generator
- Ai Picture Generator
- DeepSeek Download
- AI Email Writer
- Email Generator AI
- DeepSeek Chat
- ChatGPT Picture Generator
- ChatGPT Translate
- AI GPT
- ChatGPT Translation
- ChatGPT for Gmail
FAKE AI CHAT RESULTS ARE SPREADING DANGEROUS MAC MALWARE
These malicious tools were listed in the official Chrome Web Store, making them appear legitimate and trustworthy. (LayerX)
How the fake AI Chrome extension attack works
These fake extensions pretend to offer helpful AI features, such as translating text, summarizing emails, or acting as an AI assistant. But behind the scenes, they quietly monitor what you are doing online.
Once installed, the extension gains permission to view and interact with the websites you visit. This allows it to read the contents of web pages, including login screens where you enter your username and password.
In some cases, the extensions specifically targeted Gmail. They could read your email messages directly from your browser, including emails you received and even drafts you were still writing. This means attackers could access private conversations, financial information and sensitive personal details.
The extensions then sent this information to servers controlled by the attackers. Because they loaded content remotely, the attackers could change their behavior at any time without needing to update the extension.
Some versions could also activate voice features through your browser. This could potentially capture spoken conversations near your device and send transcripts back to the attackers.
If you installed one of these extensions, attackers may already have access to extremely sensitive information. This includes your email content, login credentials, browsing habits and possibly even voice recordings.
We reached out to Google for comment, and a spokesperson told CyberGuy that the company “can confirm that the extensions from this report have all been removed from the Google Web Store.”
BROWSER EXTENSION MALWARE INFECTED 8.8M USERS IN DARKSPECTRE ATTACK
Once installed, the extensions could read emails, capture passwords, monitor browsing activity and send the data to attacker-controlled servers. (Bildquelle/ullstein bild via Getty Images)
7 ways you can protect yourself from malicious Chrome extensions
If you have ever installed an AI-related Chrome extension, taking a few simple precautions now can help protect your accounts and prevent further damage.
1) Remove any suspicious or unused browser extensions
On a Windows PC or Mac, open Chrome and type chrome://extensions into the address bar. Review every extension listed. If you see anything unfamiliar, especially AI assistants you don’t remember installing, click “Remove” immediately. Malicious extensions depend on going unnoticed. Removing them stops further data collection and cuts off the attacker’s access to your information.
2) Change your passwords
If you installed any suspicious extension, assume your passwords may be compromised. Start by changing your email password first, since email controls access to most other accounts. Then update passwords for banking, shopping and social media accounts. This prevents attackers from using stolen credentials to break into your accounts.
3) Use a password manager to create and protect strong passwords
A password manager generates unique, complex passwords for each account and stores them securely. This prevents attackers from accessing multiple accounts if one password is stolen. Password managers also alert you if your login credentials appear in known data breaches, helping you respond quickly and protect your identity. Check out the best expert-reviewed password managers of 2026 at Cyberguy.com.
4) Install strong antivirus software and keep it active
Good antivirus software can detect malicious browser extensions, spyware, and other hidden threats. It scans your system for suspicious activity and blocks harmful programs before they can steal your information. This adds an important layer of protection that works continuously in the background to keep your device safe. Get my picks for the best 2026 antivirus protection winners for your Windows, Mac, Android & iOS devices at Cyberguy.com.
5) Use an identity theft protection service
Identity theft protection services monitor your personal data, including email addresses, financial accounts, and Social Security numbers, for signs of misuse. If criminals try to open accounts or commit fraud using your information, you receive alerts quickly. Early detection allows you to act fast and limit financial and personal damage. See my tips and best picks on how to protect yourself from identity theft at Cyberguy.com.
6) Keep your browser and computer fully updated
Software updates fix security vulnerabilities that attackers exploit. Enable automatic updates for Chrome and your operating system so you always have the latest protections. These updates strengthen your defenses against malicious extensions and prevent attackers from taking advantage of known weaknesses.
7) Use a personal data removal service
Personal data removal services scan data broker websites that collect and sell your personal information. They help remove your data from these sites, reducing what attackers can find and use against you. Less exposed information means fewer opportunities for criminals to target you with scams, identity theft or phishing attacks.
Check out my top picks for data removal services and get a free scan to find out if your personal information is already out on the web by visiting Cyberguy.com.
Get a free scan to find out if your personal information is already out on the web: Cyberguy.com.
Kurt’s key takeaway
Even tools designed to make your life easier can become tools for cybercriminals. Malicious extensions often hide behind trusted names and convincing features, making them difficult to spot. You can significantly reduce your risk by reviewing your browser extensions regularly, removing anything suspicious and using protective tools like password managers and strong antivirus software.
Have you checked your browser extensions recently? Let us know your thoughts by writing to us at Cyberguy.com.
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Technology
Anthropic refuses Pentagon’s new terms, standing firm on lethal autonomous weapons and mass surveillance
Less than 24 hours before the deadline in an ultimatum issued by the Pentagon, Anthropic has refused the Department of Defense’s demands for unrestricted access to its AI.
It’s the culmination of a dramatic exchange of public statements, social media posts, and behind-the-scenes negotiations, coming down to Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth’s desire to renegotiate all AI labs’ current contracts with the military. But Anthropic, so far, has refused to back down from its two current red lines: no mass surveillance of Americans, and no lethal autonomous weapons (or weapons with license to kill targets with no human oversight whatsoever). OpenAI and xAI had reportedly already agreed to the new terms, while Anthropic’s refusal had led to CEO Dario Amodei being summoned to the White House this week for a meeting with Hegseth himself, in which the Secretary reportedly issued an ultimatum to the CEO to back down by the end of business day on Friday or else.
In a statement late Thursday, Amodei wrote, “I believe deeply in the existential importance of using AI to defend the United States and other democracies, and to defeat our autocratic adversaries. Anthropic has therefore worked proactively to deploy our models to the Department of War and the intelligence community.”
He added that the company has “never raised objections to particular military operations nor attempted to limit use of our technology in an ad hoc manner” but that in a “narrow set of cases, we believe AI can undermine, rather than defend, democratic values” — going on to specifically mention mass domestic surveillance and fully autonomous weapons. (Amodei mentioned that “partial autonomous weapons … are vital to the defense of democracy” and that fully autonomous weapons may eventually “prove critical for our national defense,” but that “today, frontier AI systems are simply not reliable enough to power fully autonomous weapons.” He did not rule out Anthropic acquiescing to the military’s use of fully autonomous weapons in the future but mentioned that they were not ready now.)
The Pentagon had already reportedly asked major defense contractors to assess their dependence on Anthropic’s Claude, which could be seen as the first step to designating the company a “supply chain risk” – a public threat that the Pentagon had made recently (and a classification usually reserved for threats to national security). The Pentagon was also reportedly considering invoking the Defense Production Act to make Anthropic comply.
Amodei wrote in his statement that the Pentagon’s “threats do not change our position: we cannot in good conscience accede to their request.” He also wrote that “should the Department choose to offboard Anthropic, we will work to enable a smooth transition to another provider, avoiding any disruption to ongoing military planning, operations, or other critical missions. Our models will be available on the expansive terms we have proposed for as long as required.”
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