Ransomware attacks on healthcare sector increased 94% in 2021: Sophos

Fueled the Covid-19 pandemic, the global healthcare industry has expanded in market size, as consumers sought ways to safely access healthcare. However, cybercriminals are actively targeting the booming health sector, reveals a new report Sophos, a cyber security firm. The new report titled: “The State of Ransomware in Healthcare 2022″ reveals a 94 per cent increase in ransomware attacks on the organizations surveyed in this sector in 2021.
In 2021, 66 per cent of healthcare organizations were hit ransomware attacks, while 34 per cent were hit in 2020. According to Sophos, the good news is that healthcare organizations are getting better at dealing with the aftermath of ransomware attacks. Over 99 per cent of those healthcare organizations hit ransomware got at least some of their data back after cybercriminals encrypted it during the attacks.
“Ransomware in the healthcare space is more nuanced than other industries in terms of both protection and recovery. The data that healthcare organizations harness is extremely sensitive and valuable, which makes it very attractive to attackers,” said John Shier, a senior security expert at Sophos.

Interestingly, more healthcare organizations (78 per cent) are now opting for cyber insurance, but 93 per cent of healthcare organizations with insurance coverage report finding it more difficult to get policy coverage in the last year.Best of Express PremiumPremiumPremiumPremiumPremium
“In addition, the need for efficient and widespread access to this type of data – so that healthcare professionals can provide proper care – means that typical two-factor authentication and zero trust defence tactics aren’t always feasible. This leaves healthcare organizations particularly vulnerable, and when hit, they may opt to pay a ransom to keep pertinent, often lifesaving, patient data access. Due to these unique factors, healthcare organizations need to expand their anti-ransomware defences combining security technology with human-led threat hunting to defend against today’s advanced cyber attackers,” Shier added.
Sophos has recommended the following practices for all organizations across all sectors:
#Install and maintain high-quality defences across all points in the organization’s environment. Review security controls regularly and makes sure they continue to meet the organization’s needs#Harden the IT environment searching for and closing key security gaps#Make backups and practice restoring from them so that the organization can get back up and running as soon as possible, with minimum disruption#Proactively hunt for threats to identify and stop adversaries before they can execute their attack – if the team lacks the time or skills to do this in house, outsource to a Managed Detection and Response (MDR) special#Prepare for the worst. Know what to do if a cyber incident occurs and keep the plan updated