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A devastating health care cyberattack hit Change Healthcare on February 21, 2024. By forcing the $13 billion company offline, the cyber criminals cut one of the few connections between health care providers and payers, triggering a cash crunch at medical groups, health clinics, hospitals, and pharmacies.
This cyberattack left many health care providers struggling for cash and facing serious consequences. Even now, a second ransomware hacker is attempting to extort Change Healthcare based on the data exfiltrated during the initial attack. The breach also brought to light the vulnerable nature of the industry’s infrastructure. As one of the largest health information exchange platforms in the US, Change Healthcare’s ransomware attack disabled providers’ ability to access the data and systems used to process prescriptions, claims, and payments creating a trickledown effect that significantly impacted all parties.
As entities that process and store vast amounts of valuable data, including personally identifiable information (PII) and other health information that can be used for insurance and identity fraud, health care organizations are increasingly targeted. The data is not only highly valuable, but it is necessary to provide services to patients. These two factors combined make ransomware attacks one of the biggest threats to health care organizations.
Below are some cybersecurity strategies your organization’s leaders can use to mitigate risks against cyberattacks and safeguard your digital assets and patient data.