More and more healthcare facilities see a threat from cyber attacks

In an increasingly digitized world, the risks from attacks on our infrastructure also increase. More and more devices are networked with one another, so ransomware attacks or phishing attempts are likely to increase rather than decrease in the future. Depending on the sector, many lives could be at stake, a new study has taken a closer look at the danger to the health sector.

Nevertheless, some caution is advised with the present results. The data only take into account a comparatively small selection of clinics and practices and were not checked by any other party apart from the authors of the cybersecurity company. Nonetheless, the study provides interesting insights into the current situation of nearly 600 healthcare facilities in the United States.

According to this, 40 percent of the organizations surveyed had to struggle with a ransomware attack in the last two years, which paralyzed everyday life in the clinics. 70 percent of those affected stated that this also increased the length of stay for patients and that tests and other results, some of which were vital, were not available as quickly as usual.

36 percent stated that there were complications during medical interventions, with 22 percent an increase in the death rate as a result. It also seems that trust within the organizations is not that great. Half of the respondents said that they do not trust their organization to successfully manage an attack.

In addition, the number of unreported cases is likely to be much higher, as some organizations do not report such attacks at all, for example to protect their reputation. With the new paper, a general trend is visible; earlier analyzes have shown during the coronavirus pandemic that hospitals attacked deal with death significantly more often than those that are protected.

Own opinion:

Hospitals and other areas of the health care system will have to prepare for more frequent cyber attacks and secure their own infrastructure in the coming decades. Especially when more and more devices are networked and services are being processed online in this country, more money must be invested in defense and awareness-raising among employees. This is the only way we can save lives sustainably.