During 2023, a record number of cyberattacks were recorded on hospitals. According to a report by the European Union Cybersecurity Agency (ENISA), cyberattacks doubled in the first quarter of the year, reaching 40 incidents, compared to 22 on average in the first three months of 2021 and 2022. These attacks not only affected hospitals, but also targeted service providers in the healthcare sector.
The report also highlights concerns about data leakage in healthcare, noting that it has been the most expensive for 12 consecutive years compared to other sectors, with an average value of around €300,000 across Europe. In Spain, we have the case of the Clínic de Barcelona hospital, which suffered the consequences of a ransomware attack that encrypted its systems, and took several weeks to restore normal activity. This situation not only caused huge economic losses, but also led to the exposure of sensitive personal data.
These types of attacks usually aim to target vulnerable computer systems, encrypt or steal their data, before sending a ransom note demanding payment for decryption or not making it public.
But why do these attacks target health centers? The accumulation of personal data with sensitive information by hospitals and the fact that they play a crucial role in social well-being make these institutions attractive targets for cybercriminals. In fact, according to Accenture, health data is up to 20% more valuable than typical credit card information. Therefore, it is necessary to address the growing concern about healthcare security in this increasingly digital world.
Without an adequate protection strategy, cybercrimes benefit from rapid digitization. According to a study by Deloitte, only 6.25% of companies say they have not been the victim of a cyberattack. The most common threats, such as phishing and ransomware, directly impact the security of our data: It is estimated that a ransomware attack can cost companies an average of $1.8 million, with downtime and recovery representing the largest portion of this cost.
Adopting a preventive strategy
Government agencies in the United States are already aware of the severity of these cyberattacks and are taking more proactive approaches, implementing preventive strategies focused on cyber resilience. The recent infrastructure dismantling of Qakbot, a malware used to steal financial data and cryptocurrencies, serves as an example of this new strategy. It was spread via emails containing malicious links or hyperlinks, through which it was able to infect the victim's computer, ultimately affecting approximately 700,000 computers around the world.
Cyber resilience is not only about protecting against attacks, but also about ensuring data privacy and management. Adopting technologies such as artificial intelligence and machine learning can detect anomalies in real-time, while immutable copies of data can facilitate rapid recovery in the event of a ransomware incident.
In this sense, technologies such as artificial intelligence or machine learning can detect anomalies in real-time, as well as create immutable copies of data to help entities quickly recover from a ransomware event.
Key to this concept is an intelligent data infrastructure that combines unified and silo-free storage, complemented by a wide range of additional data services and tools that allow for monitoring and automation.
This infrastructure must be integrated across all locations where a company's data resides, whether in its own data center or in the cloud. Additionally, healthcare companies should leverage AI to protect, maintain privacy, or help manage data, ensuring IT departments are one step ahead of criminals.
Ultimately, health security represents a collective challenge that requires collaborative action. By adopting preventative strategies and advanced technologies, we can enhance our resilience to increasing cyber threats. Protecting our data is not just a business responsibility, but a commitment to everyone's health and safety.
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