Cyberattacks on hospitals should be considered a regional disaster, according to researchers who studied the effects of recent ransomware attacks on healthcare institutions.
The big picture: Researchers at the University of California San Diego analyzed the impact of a ransomware attack on a neighboring hospital, finding a significant increase in patient influx to their emergency room.
* The number of patients leaving without being seen by a doctor and emergency stroke code activations more than doubled during the weeks following the breach.
* The authors argue that hospitals near a ransomware victim experience serious constraints on resources, affecting time-sensitive care for conditions such as acute strokes.
The challenge: Directly linking deaths with ransomware attacks is difficult due to disrupted patient care tracking systems, leading researchers to focus on secondary metrics that illustrate negative outcomes associated with cyberattacks.
Growing concerns: Ransomware attacks against hospitals declined slightly in 2022 but are on track to increase in 2023, as ransomware gangs lose control over their stolen hacking tools, making them more accessible online for smaller cybercriminals.
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