81% of the healthcare organisations operating in the UK have experienced a ransomware attack in the last 12 months, according to a study written by Obrela Security Industries. Based on a survey of 100 cybersecurity professionals working in the sector, the researchers found that 38% of organisations chose to pay a ransom demand to get their files back, while 44% refused, losing healthcare data as a result. 64% said they had had to cancel in-person appointments due to the hack and 63% were concerned that a cyber attack on their systems could lead to loss of life.
“Healthcare organizations hold some of the world’s most sensitive data and our study shows many are completely unprepared for cyber-attacks. Threat actors target valuable confidential data, making healthcare a growing target, and ransomware is steadily picking up pace as today’s cyber-weapon of choice. However, most organizations will not be able to identify a data leakage or a security compromise before it is too late. The security community and the UK Government should use this data as a call to action to step in and assist.
Technology has been evolving very rapidly, and it has become a critical element of modern healthcare, but it has also become a significant part of the attack landscape. What is worrisome is that healthcare technology is often deployed and used without security in mind. Therefore, security professionals must consider that the risk profiles of those organizations are now higher, given the complexity of the underlying infrastructure, as well as the fusion of previously physically and logically separated technologies. In short, we need to act now, otherwise we will witness the loss of human lives.”
George Patsis, CEO, Obrela Security Industries
Another Obrela study found there was a 30% increase in attacks on healthcare industry IT infrastructure in Q3 compared to Q2 2021, and, more specifically, email security threats (36%), insider attacks (24%) and perimeter breaches (20%).
Source: info security
Informed Sauce is hosting an Infinidat-sponsored event in London on 2 December about protecting businesses from cyber crime.
Short talks from the Metropolitan Police, a military-trained cyber threat expert and sponsor Infinidat’s EMEA Field CTO will be followed by a panel-led, room-wide moderated discussion, with plenty of opportunities for you to contribute your thoughts and ask questions.
Visit the event microsite for more details and to sign up.