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- Cyberattacks On Health Care Organizations Rise After Change Healthcare Incident
In April, 44 health care organizations were targeted with ransomware attacks, stolen data, and demand for payment while networks were held hostage. Thirty cases of cyberattacks were reported in March. It is speculated that Change Healthcare’s ransom payment of $22 million may have emboldened cybercriminals to target vulnerable health care organizations, according to research conducted by cybersecurity firm Recorded Future. Cyberattacks against the healthcare sector increased 128% from 2022 to 2023, according to the Office of the Director of National Intelligence.
Other examples of cyberattacks include:
- Earlier in June, pathology firm Synnovis was hit by ransomware, believed to be the work of Russian group Qilin, forcing multiple hospitals in London to delay surgeries and even seek more donations of O-type blood due to the hospitals' inability to match existing blood donations with patients needing transfusions.
- The notorious hacker group LockBit published 61 gigabytes of data stolen from the Simone Veil hospital in Cannes, France, after it refused to pay a ransom.
According to the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), the health care sector is particularly vulnerable to cybersecurity risks. Health care facilities are attractive targets for cyber criminals in light of their size, technological dependence, sensitive data, and unique vulnerability to disruptions.
- Review the latest cybersecurity federal alerts and advisories.
- Access educational materials designed by HHS to give HIPAA covered entities and businesses insight into how to respond to a cyber-related security incident.
- Access American Medical Association (AMA) resources for physicians and health care staff to protect patient health records and other data from cyberattacks.
Make sure to check out our new resource: Cyberattacks and Cybersecurity in Health Care and check back for the latest information and updates.