When it comes to healthcare, 2020 will go down as the year of the pandemic, when COVID-19 swept across the globe and swamped health systems with gravely ill patients and red ink. But it will also be remembered as the year when cyberattacks against hospitals went mainstream.
With organizations shifting to remote workforces, the coronavirus pandemic has opened the door to cybercriminals, who are shamelessly exploiting the new IT security vulnerabilities exposed by the pandemic for financial gain. These cybercriminals have taken advantage of the disorganization brought about by the pandemic and are exploiting new vulnerabilities in IT security for financial gain.
Sadly, healthcare is now the No. 1 most targeted industry in the U.S. for ransomware, a strain of malware that encrypts computers and networks and demands payment to unlock them, with monthly attacks up 71% in October, Check Point Research reports. Cybercriminals have even targeted at least seven companies involved in researching vaccines or treatments for COVID-19. The spike in attacks prompted a joint alert from federal authorities in October outlining ransomware threats, and Microsoft followed up with a plea to world leaders “to affirm that international law protects health care facilities and to take action to enforce the law.” And yet among all industries, healthcare appears uniquely vulnerable to crippling cyberattacks.
Download this white paper to discover:
- The cost pressures and vulnerabilities confronting hospitals
- Financial implications of a cyberattack
- Pragmatic approaches you should take, not only to strengthen your IT environment but to win over leaders in your C-suite.
