Protected Health Information (PHI) is one of the most valuable types of data sold on darknet forums, making healthcare organizations a prime target for cybercriminals. This article is part of a series analyzing the state of cybersecurity, with today’s focus on the healthcare sector.
IT Infrastructure in Healthcare
- 24% of healthcare organizations operate entirely in the cloud, significantly higher than the average across other sectors (11%).
- 64% of healthcare organizations use a hybrid infrastructure, compared to 74% across all industries.
- Only 12% remain solely on on-premises infrastructure.
Reasons for high dependency on cloud technologies:
- Strict regulatory requirements for storing and processing personal health information (PHI).
- Use of SaaS and IaaS solutions to partially delegate security and compliance responsibilities.
IT Security Priorities in Healthcare
The key priorities include:
- Data security (64%).
- Network protection (54%).
- Automation of manual processes (46%, higher than the average in other sectors).
Why is automation a key priority?
A large portion of work in healthcare requires manual data entry, such as treatment protocols, prescribed medications, and patient histories. Automating these processes significantly saves time for doctors and administrators.
Major Cyber Threats in Healthcare
84% of healthcare organizations experienced cyberattacks in the past year.
Most common attacks:
- Phishing – 63% (on-premises), 62% (cloud).
- Account compromise – 74% (cloud), 44% (on-premises).
- Data theft by hackers – 20% (on-premises), 27% (cloud).
- Targeted attacks – 26% (on-premises), 32% (cloud).
- Accidental data leaks – 26%.
Why is the healthcare sector an attractive target for cyberattacks?
Medical data (PHI) is highly valuable on the black market. Many employees interact with external parties (patients, auditors, laboratories), making threat detection more challenging. Low cybersecurity awareness among staff contributes to frequent attacks.
Impact of Cyberattacks on Healthcare Organizations
- 69% of healthcare organizations suffered financial losses due to attacks, exceeding the 60% average across other sectors.
- 21% of healthcare institutions lost executives as a result of cyber incidents (13% across all sectors).
- 19% of organizations faced lawsuits after attacks (compared to 13% in other sectors).
Financial losses due to attacks:
- 21% of companies incurred losses ranging from $10,001 to $50,000.
- 31% lost between $50,001 and $200,000.
- 5% suffered losses exceeding $200,001.
Recommendations for Improving Healthcare Security
- Reducing User Privileges (PAM): Minimizing access rights for healthcare professionals’ accounts. Netwrix Privilege Secure is an excellent solution for this task.
- Threat Detection Tools (IDTR): Implementing systems for automatic blocking of compromised accounts.
- Strengthening Password Security and MFA: Protecting access to critical healthcare systems through multi-factor authentication.
- Staff Training: Raising awareness about phishing attacks among healthcare professionals.
Conclusion
Сектор охорони здоров’я має вищий рівень ризику через:
- The healthcare sector faces higher security risks due to:
- The high value of medical data on the black market.
- Extensive use of cloud technologies.
- Numerous users who are not cybersecurity specialists.
- Strict regulatory requirements affecting security measures.
- Key security measures: MFA, PAM, IDTR, staff training.
