Momentum - Business to Business Online Magazine MOMENTUM November 2019 | Page 20

TECH ANTONIO RODRIGUEZ Business Technology Advisor OneSource [email protected] | www.onesource.tech R • A • N • S • O • M • W • A • R • E What it is, and how it can put your business at risk. I n the last few months, we’ve seen a new wave of ransomware variants. If you are like most healthcare organizations, you may not be ready to fight this battle. Amid the recent cyberattacks screamers, including the one that affected 23 municipalities in Texas, it is easy to ignore the real threat ransomware represents. You probably think that you are either too small to become a target, or that your current cybersecurity solution is enough to stop these attacks. Sadly, this confidence has jeopardized large numbers of healthcare providers and the patients they help. When Ransomware attacked a small healthcare provider in California, the owners didn’t know how hackers successfully breached their network. They just knew that all computers were locked down and the cybercriminals, who agreed to restore the system once the payment was received, kept changing their demands. The longer the problem remained unsolved, the more the crisis deepened within the organization. All systems including Electronic Health Records, in- home care and case management were affected, 18 MOMENTUM putting the business to a halt and jeopardizing its future. In the past, the biggest cybersecurity concern that most healthcare organizations faced, was that hackers may steal EMRs and sell them to the highest bidder. Nowadays, the most efficient way (for the attackers), to strike a network is Ransomware; a type of attack that enables anonymous criminals to encrypt all your systems, and then ask you for a ransom to restore your systems. According to estimates from the leading Cybersecurity firm SonicWALL, in the first 10 months of 2018, 181.5 million attacks had been registered in the U.S., and this number is expected to double in 2019, along with an increase on intrusion attempts. Smaller healthcare organizations are a perfect target for attackers because most don’t have the infrastructure to secure their practices against these attacks. No provider wants to be a victim of Ransomware, but cybersecurity is an issue that requires a multilayered approach, and many owners are under the impression that is not affordable. Despite all the free resources available nowadays, SonicWALL provides effective cybersecurity for small businesses at a figure neighboring 2% or their revenue. In the case of larger organizations, these costs are around 1%. As attackers evolve in their practices, deploying cybersecurity measures becomes a need for healthcare practitioners. Trusted technology advisors can help you bridge the gap between technology and your business and help you evolve, deploy and manage a scalable, robust IT infrastructure that prioritizes your business needs while keeping unwanted threats away. Remember, attackers just need to be right once.