Ransomware attacks on the healthcare sector surged in 2024, analysis from SafetyDetectives reveals. The year has already seen 264 attacks on healthcare providers by September, nearly surpassing the 268 attacks recorded for all of 2023.

Escalating Cyber Threats

SafetyDetectives argues that the growing number of ransomware groups and variants in 2024 contributed to the increasing number of attacks on the healthcare sector.

In 2023, 68 active groups were responsible for nearly 4,841 attacks globally. This year, 87 groups averaged 394 monthly attacks. The report also reveals that cybercriminals are changing tactics: cybersecurity experts discovered 177 new ransomware variants between April and September 2024 alone.

Change Healthcare was a Pivotal Moment

According to the report, the Change Healthcare attack in March 2024 was pivotal for the healthcare sector’s threat landscape. Experts have expressed concern that the organization’s decision to pay the $22 million ransom would encourage others in the industry to meet such demands to avoid HIPAA penalties and operational disruptions. These findings suggest that ransomware actors share this view.

The Impacts

Ransomware attacks can have severe impacts on healthcare organizations. For example, service disruptions can delay essential services, prevent access to electronic health records (EHRs), and compromise diagnostic systems, putting patient lives at risk.

Data theft is another significant impact. Based on admittedly unreliable data, SafetyDetectives estimates that attackers may have stolen nearly 120TB of data from healthcare organizations in 2024.

In some cases, this data can cause serious harm to patients. Attackers often post sensitive patient data – including patient files, passports, and even NSFW images from plastic surgery clinics – to public forums. The exposure of this data can be highly traumatic, potentially resulting in identity theft, medical fraud, and psychological distress for victims.

Recommendations

In response to the increased ransomware threat, SafetyDetectives recommends that healthcare organizations:

• Regularly conduct software updates and patching.
• Implement multi-factor authentication (MFA) and strict access controls.
• Conduct employee training to mitigate risks from phishing and other cyberattacks.
• Maintain offline backups of critical data.
• Develop comprehensive incident response plans.