With troves of patient data, hospitals and healthcare systems have become increasingly integral to the development of clinical trial design and treatment modalities. Unfortunately, hospitals and health systems have also become a growing target for cybercriminals looking to exploit valuable information via cyberattacks.
According to a recent survey, more than one in three healthcare organizations around the world reported being hit by ransomware in 2020: and there is little indication of any slowdown. One study conducted in 2021 found that attacks against health plans rose nearly 35% from 2020 to 2021. Furthermore, there was a rise from 14 million total victims of healthcare attacks in 2018 to 45 million in 2021. As health data continues to become more accessible digitally, hospitals must begin prioritizing updating old infrastructure and implementing data security strategies to best safeguard sensitive patient information.