"Cyberattacks in Healthcare Sector More Likely to Carry Financial Consequences"
Netwrix released additional findings from its global 2022 Cloud Security Report for the healthcare sector, revealing that 61 percent of respondents in the healthcare industry experienced a cyberattack on their cloud infrastructure in the previous 12 months, compared to 53 percent in other sectors. The most common type of attack reported was phishing. Because the chances of success are higher in the healthcare sector, it is a lucrative target for attackers. Since patient health is the top priority for these organizations, IT security resources are often overstressed and focused on maintaining only the most essential functions, according to Dirk Schrader, VP of Security Research at Netwrix. Furthermore, the high value of data provides cybercriminals with more financial opportunities as they can either sell stolen, sensitive medical information on the dark web or extort a ransom for 'unfreezing' the medical systems used to keep patients alive. An attack in the healthcare sector is more likely to have financial ramifications. Only 14 percent of healthcare organizations say an attack had no effect on their business, compared to 32 percent of respondents from other industries. The most common types of damage caused by a cyberattack are unplanned expenses to cover security gaps and compliance fines. This article continues to discuss key findings from Netwrix's global 2022 Cloud Security Report regarding cyberattacks in the healthcare sector.