Medical Institutions Remain One of the Most Vulnerable Sectors to Ransomware Attacks
The healthcare sector experienced 64 ransomware attacks last year alone, according to research by NordLocker.
According to recent data, the belief that ransomware attacks only target wealthy organizations is a myth. In 2022, healthcare companies with annual profits ranging from $25-50 million experienced four ransomware attacks, while medical companies with profits between $11-25 million encountered 14 attacks. Medical institutions with profits of $1-5 million were not exempt because they also suffered four attacks. It is crucial to highlight that ransomware poses a greater threat to institutions with lower profits because cyberattacks can often lead to severe financial repercussions, including bankruptcy.
Ransomware attacks target large public hospitals and small private practices alike. The report reveals that even one-person private consultation offices are not immune to these attacks. In the year prior, healthcare institutions with 1,000-5,000 employees experienced four attacks, while those with 1-11 and 11-50 employees encountered 13 attacks.
It is important to note that ransomware attacks extend beyond hospitals and healthcare facilities. Biotech companies, pharmaceutical companies, social services, medical factories, and other organizations in the healthcare sector are also susceptible to such attacks.
As usual, most attacks target American businesses — 61% of all attacks are against the US healthcare sector. Spain and Canada are the other countries most affected by ransomware attacks, with almost 8% and 4.7% of attacks retrospectively.
Why is the health sector so vulnerable?
Experts agree that there are a variety of different reasons why healthcare is such a lucrative industry for cybercriminals.
“In general, hospitals and other medical institutions are a great target due to outdated systems, and lack of choice in solution providers because not all vendors can offer solutions for the medical field. Lack of investment is another factor,” says Aivaras Vencevicius, head of product for NordLocker.
The health care sector is also particularly vulnerable because of the…
