"Alarming Rise in Cyberattacks Against Healthcare Facilities, 68 Attacks in Q3 2021 Only"
Last month saw an alarming rise in cyberattacks against healthcare facilities. Ransomware attacks across the globe locked 68 care providers out of their respective networks during Q3 of this year alone, threatening patient safety and privacy. Experts stated that as healthcare facilities modernize, their legacy OT equipment becomes vulnerable to hackers. Water, HVAC, oxygen, electrical, and other critical systems are connected, yet may fall short of proper cybersecurity monitoring and protection. Ilan Barda, CEO of Radiflow, stated that "accessing patient data is worrisome, but the idea of hackers gaining access to components in a specific ward or even a single operating room is alarming." The CEO also noted that CISOs at facilities should focus on both IT systems and OT environments, starting from risk assessment to threat monitoring. He also stated that there should be continuous holistic risk management for more mature organizations that combine both IT and OT systems.