In a recent report published by Netwrix, the cybersecurity firm surveyed 1,309 security professionals globally and found that 84% of organizations in the healthcare sector observed a cyberattack on their infrastructure within the last 12 months.
Phishing and account hijacking were the most common types of incidents experienced. Of those that spotted a cyberattack, 74% of healthcare organizations reported user or admin account compromise compared to 44% of organizations with on-premises infrastructure.
“Healthcare workers regularly communicate with many people they do not know — patients, laboratory assistants, external auditors and more — so properly vetting every message is a huge burden. Plus, they do not realize how critical it is to be cautious, since security awareness training often takes a back seat to the urgent work of taking care of patients. Combined, these factors can lead to a higher rate of security incidents,” says Dirk Schrader, VP of Security Research and Field CISO EMEA at Netwrix.
The report also reported that a cyberattack resulted in financial damage for 69%, compared to 60% for other industries. 57% estimated financial damage of greater than $10,000, with 36% stating the financial damage was greater than $50,001.
Automation of manual IT processes ranked third for the healthcare sector behind data and network security, with 46% of respondents stating it as one of their top priorities for 2024.
An expert with Cyware offers perspective on the matter.
Emily Phelps, Director, Cyware had this to say:
“This is a reminder that securing healthcare infrastructures goes beyond just protecting data—it’s about safeguarding the entire ecosystem of communication, collaboration, and critical patient care. With many healthcare workers juggling multiple interactions daily, it’s clear that robust threat intelligence management and training programs are crucial in equipping staff to spot and mitigate these threats. Moreover, automating IT processes can help reduce human error, which is often exploited by attackers, and streamline defenses in an industry under constant pressure. Effective threat intelligence sharing and collective defense are essential to fortifying healthcare networks and minimizing the impact of these attacks.”
Unfortunately healthcare is a target rich environment for threat actors. This paradigm needs to change and fast. Otherwise some the most important data that relates to all of us will be forever under threat.
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This entry was posted on January 25, 2025 at 8:35 am and is filed under Commentary with tags Netwrix. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed.
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Healthcare In 2024: 84% detected a cyberattack and 46% will prioritize automation in 2025
In a recent report published by Netwrix, the cybersecurity firm surveyed 1,309 security professionals globally and found that 84% of organizations in the healthcare sector observed a cyberattack on their infrastructure within the last 12 months.
Phishing and account hijacking were the most common types of incidents experienced. Of those that spotted a cyberattack, 74% of healthcare organizations reported user or admin account compromise compared to 44% of organizations with on-premises infrastructure.
“Healthcare workers regularly communicate with many people they do not know — patients, laboratory assistants, external auditors and more — so properly vetting every message is a huge burden. Plus, they do not realize how critical it is to be cautious, since security awareness training often takes a back seat to the urgent work of taking care of patients. Combined, these factors can lead to a higher rate of security incidents,” says Dirk Schrader, VP of Security Research and Field CISO EMEA at Netwrix.
The report also reported that a cyberattack resulted in financial damage for 69%, compared to 60% for other industries. 57% estimated financial damage of greater than $10,000, with 36% stating the financial damage was greater than $50,001.
Automation of manual IT processes ranked third for the healthcare sector behind data and network security, with 46% of respondents stating it as one of their top priorities for 2024.
An expert with Cyware offers perspective on the matter.
Emily Phelps, Director, Cyware had this to say:
“This is a reminder that securing healthcare infrastructures goes beyond just protecting data—it’s about safeguarding the entire ecosystem of communication, collaboration, and critical patient care. With many healthcare workers juggling multiple interactions daily, it’s clear that robust threat intelligence management and training programs are crucial in equipping staff to spot and mitigate these threats. Moreover, automating IT processes can help reduce human error, which is often exploited by attackers, and streamline defenses in an industry under constant pressure. Effective threat intelligence sharing and collective defense are essential to fortifying healthcare networks and minimizing the impact of these attacks.”
Unfortunately healthcare is a target rich environment for threat actors. This paradigm needs to change and fast. Otherwise some the most important data that relates to all of us will be forever under threat.
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This entry was posted on January 25, 2025 at 8:35 am and is filed under Commentary with tags Netwrix. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.