According to a recent study, cyberattacks in healthcare sector in several countries have been increasing. Read on to know more about it…
Today, no organization is immune to cyberattacks. Specific industries, on the other hand, are particularly vulnerable and a popular target of hackers. Attackers, however, appear to have a particular affinity for healthcare organizations. Ransomware attacks, data breaches, and other cyberattacks have been plaguing the healthcare industry for years.
Cost & Value of Healthcare Data
Healthcare had the highest industry cost of a data breach for eleven years in a row, according to the IBM Cost of a Data Breach Report 2021. Furthermore, the average total cost of a healthcare data breach grew by 29.5 percent from $7.13 million in 2020 to $9.23 million in 2021.
However, the enormous cost incurred by healthcare organizations as a result of data breach occurrences is attributed to more than just the quantity of incidents. It’s also because of the nature and sensitivity of data associated with healthcare institutions. On the dark web, the more sensitive and confidential the information is, the more valuable it is. On the dark web, healthcare data is said to be more valuable than credit card data.
Healthcare – Target of Attacks
Healthcare organizations have been particularly targeted by ransomware attacks, prompting the FBI and others to issue several special warnings to help protect healthcare organizations, including hospitals, from cyberattacks.
28th of October, 2020: The Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA), the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), and the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) issued a joint cybersecurity advisory warning healthcare providers to protect themselves against TrickBot malware, which can lead to ransomware attacks using the Ryuk ransomware.
20 May 2021: The FBI issued a bulletin warning of Conti ransomware attacks affecting healthcare and first responder networks. In the bulletin, the FBI identified at least 16 Conti ransomware attacks aimed at US healthcare and first responder networks.
25th of August, 2021: The FBI has issued a warning to healthcare organizations about the potential threat of Hive ransomware, which was initially discovered in June 2021 and is most likely operating as affiliate-based malware that both encrypts and exfiltrates data.
For healthcare organizations, ransomware is a very significant threat. Ransomware provides a perfect storm of “worst case” scenario for hospitals and other healthcare-based businesses because of the sensitive nature of the data maintained by healthcare organizations. Modern ransomware not only encrypts the victim’s data, but it also frequently exposes the sensitive data on the dark web, which is the worst conceivable outcome for critical patient records.
Crucial Factors Leading to Cybersecurity Compromise
The following are some of the crucial factors which is responsible for the high cybersecurity risk on healthcare organizations:
High-risk Networked Medical Devices: The threats of IoT devices which are connected to networked devices that have a single purpose is very real in healthcare organizations. Several networked medical devices, for example, transmit crucial info like health statistics, data, charting, records, and many other data types in healthcare organizations such as hospitals. The sheer number of devices used in a hospital setting increases the attack surface substantially.
The underlying operating systems, firmware, drivers, and other components of medical devices may not be patched with the most recent security patches. Medical devices can also be logged in and left unattended. All of these factors, as well as others, can lead to elevated cybersecurity risk healthcare organizations.
Insecure Interconnected Medical Networks: Large hospital networks may be connected to smaller, less secure physician’s offices. While interconnected networks make it easier for information to be shared quickly and easily, they also make it easier for hackers to infiltrate the target they’re after — hospital networks and the data these contain.
Doctors’ offices may employ legacy and antiquated network and end-user devices running old and outdated security protocols. Endpoints may not be patched properly or logged in with administrator credentials on a regular basis. By visiting a single malicious website could lead to malware, ransomware, or similar attack gaining access to the smaller network and then pivot to the connected hospital network via open ports and other permitted communications.
Implementing zero-trust network connectivity across all connected networks and providing least privilege access to resources across the board will help secure sensitive patient data.
Weak Passwords: Several alarming statistics are tied to compromised credentials, according to the IBM Cost of a Data Breach Report 2021. Some of them are:
* Compromised credentials are responsible for 20 percent of total data breaches.
* The longest number of days to identify breaches was caused by stolen/compromised credentials.
* 4.37 million dollars is the average cost of a data breach caused by compromised credentials.