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RANSOM.

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ABC'S ALISON KOSIK WITH MORE THIS MORNING. TWO WEEKS AFTER A CYBERATTACK HIT THE NATION'S LARGEST HEALTH INSURER CRIPPLING ITS DIGITAL NETWORK, EXPERTS SAY IT APPEARS UNITEDHEALTH GROUP MAY HAVE PAID THE HACKER GROUP KNOWN AS BLACK CAT $22 MILLION IN RANSOM.

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THE SMOKING GUN, SO TO SPEAK, WAS A PUBLICLY VISIBLE $22 MILLION TRANSACTION ON BITCOIN'S BLOCKCHAIN.

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UNITEDHEALTH HAS NOT CONFIRMED THE PAYMENT REPORTED BY REUTERS AND WIRED, THE COMPANY SAYING IT'S FOCUSED ON THE INVESTIGATION AND THE RECOVERY. SINCE THE ATTACK, THOUSANDS OF MOSTLY SMALLER PHARMACIES HAVE BEEN FACING MAJOR DISRUPTIONS IN FULFILLING PRESCRIPTION ORDERS AND VERIFYING INSURANCE COVERAGE.

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THEY'RE TARGETING THE HEALTH CARE INDUSTRY BECAUSE THEY KNOW THAT PEOPLE PATIENTS, THEY ARE ESPECIALLY VULNERABLE.

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THEY THESE THESE ORGANIZATIONS ARE IN A POSITION WHERE THEY CANNOT WAIT TOO LONG BEFORE THEY HAVE TO PAY A RANSOM.

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PAYING THE RANSOM MIGHT HELP THE COMPANY GET ITS OPERATIONS UP AND RUNNING, BUT IT COULD ALSO SET A DANGEROUS PRECEDENT.

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IT'S LIKE TRAINING A DOG. YOU KNOW, THE DOG DOES SOMETHING AND IT GETS A TREAT AND JUST DOES IT AGAIN.

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ONE HEALTH ANALYTICAL FIRM ESTIMATES THE CYBERATTACK HAS BEEN COSTING HEALTH CARE PROVIDERS MORE THAN $100 MILLION PER DAY.

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ALISON KOSIK, ABC NEWS, NEW YORK.

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UP NEXT, AN UNWANTED GUEST MAKING AN APPEARANCE At first, I used Better Than Bouillon for broth. And then stir fry...

sauces...

even marinades! And now there's the Culinary Collection! Italian Herb for pasta...

Smoky Chipotle for fajitas...

it's like the deliciousness never ends! Make everything better with Better Than Bouillon! .

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AND CHECK THIS OUT. POLICE IN WISCONSIN AND CALLED TO A HOME IN KENOSHA COUNTY LAST WEEK TO TAKE CARE OF AN UNWANTED GUEST AND THAT GUEST WAS THE 450 POUND PIG WHO GOES BY THE NAME KEVIN BACON. HE WANDERED AWAY FROM HIS HOME WHICH WAS A MILE AWAY. THE HOMEOWNER CALLED KENOSHA COUNTY OFFICIALS TO HELP THE PIG MAKE HIS WAY BACK HOME. HOMEOWNER, ALONG WITH POLICE OFFICERS ALERTED KEVIN BACON HOME WITH THIS OREOS AND OTHER TREATS TO HELP HIM GET MOVING. IT TOOK 2.5 HOURS BEFORE THE PIG WAS SAFELY BACK IN. AND AS PART OF OUR MISSION TO PUT SOUTHEAST TEXAS FIRST 12 NEWS AND THE TEGNA FOUNDATION ARE SO PROUD TO SUPPORT OUR COMMUNIT