Cyber attacks to skyrocket, health organizations easy targets: insurer
Posted May 21, 2017 11:33 am.
This article is more than 5 years old.
VANCOUVER (NEWS 1130) – After a major ransomware attack wreaked havoc worldwide this month, a specialty insurer is predicting the number of of similar cyber extortion cases will skyrocket, with the healthcare sector an easy target.
The WannaCry worm worked its way into computer systems in 150 countries and crippled the UK’s health services. More than 45 of England’s NHS trusts were hit by the cyber attack.
The rate of ransomware attacks rose by 400 per cent last year, compared to 2015 according to a report from Beazley. The same report predicts they will double again this year.
Bob Wice with Beazley says healthcare organizations make good targets for ransomware attacks because they don’t often have the sophisticated backup systems and resilience measures that are typical of large corporations.
“Health organizations have a wealth of data. They have patient records, they have medication histories they have all sorts of financial information as well.”
“Obviously, there’s an element of urgent care that needs to be provided, so if a hospital system suffers a ransomware attack and is actually down, it’s critical they get back up and running.”
Wice says criminals don’t have to be experts to buy ransomware software in the illegal marketplace and then use it.
