Cyberattack rate per healthcare organisation up 37% in 2020

NEW DELHI: Cyberattacks on hospitals and healthcare organisations has emerged as a top hacker trend in 2020, as monthly cyberattacks per healthcare organization jumped 37 per cent in the last 12 months, said a report by cybersecurity firm Check Point. In November and December 2020, cyberattacks targeting healthcare organisations globally increased by 45 per cent – double the global increase of attacks seen in the same time period across all industry sectors, said the company’s “2021 Security Report.” Recent Check Point Research from October showed that healthcare is currently the most targeted industry in the US, with a 71 per cent increase in attacks compared to September. One of the most prolific cyber threats hospitals and healthcare organizations face is ransomware. Behind ransomware is the hacker technique of what is known as “double-extortion”. Here, a cybercriminal launches a multi-stage ransomware attack, combining the traditional encryption of the victim’s files with exfiltration of data.