Comparitech Head of Data Research Rebecca Moody explains, “The increases we’ve noted in the healthcare sector are well above average because, unfortunately, it remains one of the most lucrative targets for hackers. Encrypting systems within this sector can have a catastrophic effect, while the datasets often stored by these organizations are a treasure trove of highly sensitive information.”

Last month, following three healthcare breaches in quick succession, security experts shared with Security magazine their concerns about the state of the industry’s cybersecurity. One expert called it an “alarming escalation,” and another expressed being “deeply concerned.” 

Healthcare has a James Maude, Field CTO at BeyondTrust, comments, “Healthcare has historically been less prepared for cyber risks than other industries and attackers are increasingly taking advantage of this. The security challenges extend beyond the healthcare providers themselves with almost a third of breaches involving the compromise of third parties.” 

Managing Ransomware in Healthcare

“To proficiently deal with ransomware and other threats, we must invest in shifting left and think more about securing identities and access to reduce our attack surface and blast radius in the event of compromise, rather than simply thinking post breach,” Maude asserts. “Ransomware and other threats are only as effective as the privileges and access they manage to acquire so if we can implement better hygiene, and place emphasis on least privilege, then the threat actors are far less likely to ransomware us in the first place.”

Improving cyber hygiene and getting back to the basics is essential, Moody agrees. 

“Making sure the basics (frequent backups, patching vulnerabilities, keeping systems up to date, and carrying out cybersecurity training for all employees) remain at the heart of mitigating the risks of these attacks,” she states. “Equally, when providing updates on attacks as they’re happening, organizations should assume the worst. A number of cases last quarter saw healthcare entities saying that there was no evidence of a breach before backtracking and issuing notifications/warnings to people who may have been affected later. While breaches may not be evident at the start, most hacking groups will have stolen data before encrypting systems.”

As cyber threats continue to evolve, hospitals carry the responsibility of their patients’ data and lives. Bolstering cybersecurity measures and processes can help medical institutions to protect the people in their care.