The numbers tell the story—and it’s one we all wish we could put back on the shelf. Cybercriminals are using COVID-19 to their advantage, causing an 8% rise in reported healthcare-related breaches compared to the same period in 2019. Almost 75% of those breaches involved providers, making them the most compromised segment. The largest increase of reported breaches were business associates, with a 46% increase.
There are some unpleasant plot twists as well. Various government agencies, including the National Security Agency and the FBI, report that Russian- and Chinese-backed hackers have successfully attacked healthcare firms this year. A ransomware attack by Netwalker (rumored to have Russian ties) locked down servers at a California-based school of medicine in June; a similar breach occurred at one of the largest managed healthcare companies in April.