Exposed: Why Cybercriminals Target the Healthcare Industry and How to Thwart Them

Cybercrime is a booming industry and the healthcare industry is a prime target. Fighting back requires making the organization a less profitable target. That begins with refusing to pay ransom demands. Ransomware gangs and hackers try to force healthcare providers into a difficult position: either pay the ransom or risk the theft or exposure of patients’ private data or disruption to critical operations. In 2023, the U.S. and 50 other members of the International Counter Ransomware Initiative signed a pledge that their governments would not pay ransoms to cybercriminals. Paying ransoms emboldens the attackers by encouraging them to repeat these attacks. Additionally, paying ransoms does not guarantee that the data will be returned or published to the “Dark Web.”