Currently, one of the sectors most vulnerable to cyber threats is healthcare. Hospitals, clinics, medical service providers and health care systems have have become common targets in this growing wave of cyber attacks, The region faces a series of risks that make it particularly vulnerable and exposed to significant threats.
Digital modernization in the healthcare sector, although necessary, is often done with limited budgets and in exigent circumstances. This situation has given rise to a worrying scenario: The healthcare sector has seen an astonishing growth of 650% According to Tehtris report, it faced cyber attacks last year.
Spain has seen recent incidents that highlight the urgency of addressing cybersecurity in the healthcare sector. He Cyber attack on Barcelona’s hospital clinic This is an example of the threats that threaten these vital institutions. Globally, in 2021, the United States experienced a significant increase in health care-related data breaches, with more than 40 million patient records compromised.
This upward trend in cyber vulnerabilities in the healthcare sector raises several eyebrows. Risks that need to be addressed Protecting patient privacy and ensuring uninterrupted medical care.
cyber security health risks
- Hyperconnectivity. Growing challenge to system security. With the advancement of technology in health care, the proliferation of connected devices for various medical tests creates significant cybersecurity risks.
- the supply chain. The supply chain involves online interactions with multiple suppliers and business partners. Every online connection point represents a potential vulnerability if not properly secured. Attackers may try to enter through these weak points to access internal systems.
- Lack of cyber security culture among employees: Many employees and users are not accustomed to practicing cybersecurity in their daily routine. This may lead to unsafe actions, such as clicking on malicious links or using weak passwords. It is essential to promote safety culture in organizations through training and awareness.
- Value of medical data. Because medical data is personal and highly sensitive, it is valuable on the black market and can be stolen for sale or extortion.
- System vulnerabilities, Healthcare systems are facing serious vulnerabilities that expose them to cyber attacks. A study conducted by ENISA showed that healthcare organizations reported the most security incidents related to vulnerabilities in software or hardware, with an astonishing 80% of respondents saying that vulnerabilities caused more than 61% of your security incidents. Has been. In many cases, these vulnerabilities were caused by a lack of updates to the computer system.
- Medical device users: Internet-connected medical devices, such as pacemakers or insulin pumps, can be the target of cyberattacks if they are not adequately protected.
- Data Leak: In recent years, with the advancement of technology and increasing flow of information, many incidents of data breaches in testing systems and laboratories have been recorded. These incidents were primarily attributed to poor internal security practices, including misconfiguration.
- limited resources: Many hospitals or medical centers have limited cybersecurity budgets, which can make it difficult to implement effective security measures.
- Regulatory Compliance Challenges: Hospitals must follow strict data privacy rules, and security breaches may result in financial penalties
(tagstotranslate)cybersecurity