Healthcare industry: A prime target of cyberattacks

In the U.S., healthcare is the second largest sector of the economy. It accounted for around 18 percent of the nation’s total GDP in 2017. Unfortunately, the sector size also makes it vulnerable to cyberattacks. As a matter of fact, the healthcare industry is twice as vulnerable to cyberattacks than any other sector.

Image source: cybersecurity-review.com

There are plenty of reasons hackers target healthcare, such as the following:


Highly valuable data: Healthcare organizations hold a great amount of patient data, which can include highly sensitive and private information, such as full names, social security numbers, addresses, contact details, birth information, and more. Hackers can sell such information on the black market or monetize it through blackmail. For example, in early 2018, a U.S. hospital had to pay $55,000 to cybercriminals after a ransomware attack.

Image source: noobpreneur.com

Ease of attacks: Nowadays, consumers prefer and sometimes even demand quick service and instant access to medical information, scheduling, and other services. Healthcare organizations have then invested in remote services, Internet-based consulting, cloud technologies, IT integration, Internet of Medical Things, and other similar technologies. These, unfortunately, can also provide additional opportunities for cybercriminals to attack, especially if insufficient resources are spent on cybersecurity. Compliance challenges are also commonplace in the healthcare industry, which may make it more difficult for organizations to include additional budget on cybersecurity.


Richard Blech is a resolute advocate of disruptive technology, holding vested interests in cyber-defense and digital content. Read more about these topics by checking out this blog.