SECURITY
STUDY FINDS FREQUENT CYBERATTACKS AND INSUFFICIENT ACCOUNTABILITY IN HEALTHCARE
Perceived risk in IoT / IoMT devices is high , but proactive security actions and accountability are not
Under three-quarters of respondents ( 71 %) rated the security risks presented by IoT / IoMT devices as high or very high , while only 21 % report a mature stage of proactive security actions .
Only 46 % performed well-known and accepted procedures such as scanning for devices and of that , just 33 % of these respondents keep an inventory of the devices that were discovered .
Ransomware is a vicious , profitable cycle
Cynerio , a leading provider of healthcare IoT cybersecurity , has released a report , conducted in partnership with the Ponemon Institute , that examines the current impacts of cyberattacks on healthcare facilities and network-connected IoT and medical devices . The report details multiple alarming trends including widespread and repeated attacks , financial losses measured in the millions and frequent failures to take basic cybersecurity measures .
The Insecurity of Connected Devices in HealthCare 2022 Report surveyed experts in leadership positions at 517 healthcare systems throughout the US .
Key findings include :
Cyberattacks are frequent , recurring and adversely impact patient care
Over half of respondents ( 56 %) stated their organisations experienced one or more cyberattacks in the past 24 months involving IoMT / IoT devices . Among those , 58 % averaged nine or more cyberattacks during that time .
Just under half of these respondents ( 45 %) report adverse impacts on patient care and 53 % of those report adverse impacts resulting in increased mortality rates .
A proportion of respondents ( 47 %) of those experiencing an attack , resulted in paying a ransom to their attackers – 32 % of the ransoms paid fell in the range of US $ 250,000 – US $ 500,000 .
" It ’ s clear that cyberattackers have increasingly focused their efforts on hospitals since 2020 ," said Chad Holmes , Security Evangelist at Cynerio . " What had been unclear was the frequency and resulting damage of their attacks . By teaming with Ponemon Institute , we have been able to collect feedback from hundreds of hospitals and present a clear picture of the issues they ’ re facing , both in terms of financial losses and impact on patient care . Ultimately , our aim for this data is to inform and expedite improved cybersecurity funding , training and policy creation for all healthcare providers ."
The report further details a range of financial impacts , attack types and detailed sentiments surrounding investments made towards IoT / IoMT security .
" Until recently , the wide scale of cyberattacks on healthcare systems was difficult to measure and typically spoken of anecdotally ," said Larry Ponemon , Founder and Chairman of Ponemon Institute . " Our team at Ponemon Institute is proudly pioneering research with organisations , like Cynerio , to better define the risks hospitals and their patients confront . We hope this report enables healthcare leaders , policymakers and device manufacturers to more effectively address the cybersecurity threats they encounter ." �
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