"Ransomware Attacks on Healthcare Organizations on the Rise"

From 2016 to 2021, ransomware attacks on healthcare delivery organizations increased, exposing the Protected Health Information (PHI) of roughly 42 million patients, according to a report published online by JAMA Health Forum on December 29. Hannah T. Neprash, Ph.D., of the University of Minnesota in Minneapolis, and colleagues quantified the frequency and characteristics of ransomware attacks on healthcare delivery organizations using data from the Tracking Healthcare Ransomware Events and Traits database from 2016 to 2021 in a cohort study. From January 2016 to December 2021, the researchers discovered that 374 ransomware attacks on US healthcare delivery firms exposed the PHI of millions of patients. From 2016 to 2021, the annual number of attacks climbed by more than twice, from 43 to 91. In 44.4 percent of ransomware attacks, the delivery of healthcare was affected. Electronic system outages, cancellations of scheduled care, and ambulance diversion were common types of disruptions. During the studied period, ransomware attacks on health delivery companies increasingly affected major organizations with several facilities, exposed more patients' PHI and were connected with greater delays or cancellations of scheduled services. This article continues to discuss trends in ransomware attacks on US hospitals, clinics, and other healthcare delivery organizations.

Medical Xpress reports "Ransomware Attacks on Healthcare Organizations on the Rise"