Though digitizing one's system and processes would make operations more convenient and streamlined, doing so in haste might make it vulnerable to attacks where there are gaps in security. Recently, the ones being targeted by ransomware are those from the healthcare industry.
In February 2016, Hollywood Presbyterian Medical Center paid a then unheard of $17,000 ransom to recover their encrypted files. The attack got so much coverage that Hollywood Presbyerian now has a section on their Wikipedia page discussing the attack. The following month, MedStar Health had to turn away patients because of a SamSam attack. Unfortunately, these were just the start of ransomware attacks against healthcare providers.
These attacks can disrupt patient services, create confusion, and in 2019, have forced at least two healthcare providers to shut down. Given that these attacks are such a persistent concern, I was surprised that no one had looked at the scope of ransomware attacks against healthcare providers. It turns out that collecting data on these attacks is more complex than it first appears.
Read more on Recorded Future.
(Image credit: Michael Geiger/Unsplash)
Newest 2 Comments
That being said, that red pirate wallpaper is pretty cringe.
Abusive comment hidden.
(Show it anyway.)
This is utterly despicable. The slime that subject health care providers' computers to ransomware know their victims need their computers to keep patients alive, and are likely to pony up. If there is a Hell, it holds an exceptionally nasty place for such scum.
Abusive comment hidden.
(Show it anyway.)