FRESNO, California – Cody Sarhan, Communications Specialist
It’s a busy day, patients are filling beds faster than you can overturn them. With a coffee in one hand and a computer mouse in the other, you find a brief moment to sit down and check your emails. You’re flustered, in a hurry, and don’t take the extra second to double-check who sent that last email. You open it, click a link, or download a simple attachment, and don’t think twice.
You’ve been hacked.
Twenty minutes later, you realize what happened when the computer locks up and you can no longer access the network. A hacker has stolen your network login information, and now has access to the entire hospital system, full of patients’ private and sensitive information.
“The biggest risk sector is employees. If you don’t have the defenses or the user education and awareness, then it’s a super easy way to get into a system.” — Chris Callahan, chief of cybersecurity for the Northwest region of the federal Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency, or CISA
This sounds terrifying, but it happens. And it happens all too often, as hospitals and other clinics are some of the most lucrative and profitable industries for bad actors to breach. As such, they’ve become a top target, according to federal and local cybersecurity experts.
Learn more: How Xobee can protect and safeguard your data from hackers
Why Heathcare Is So Vulnerable
Healthcare institutions are goldmines of personal information, including Social Security numbers, health histories, and financial data. This makes them prime targets for cybercriminals. Recent reports indicate a significant rise in incidents where patient information is held hostage unless hefty ransoms are paid. In fact, the healthcare sector has become more targeted by ransomware attacks than any other industry.
“They’re basically a one-stop shop for an adversary,” said Callahan. “Once a hacker obtains someone’s personal information, they’ll often try to use it as leverage to extort an organization or victim for money,” he adds. “If that fails, they’ll try to sell it to other organized crime groups that generally have one objective — to make as much money on your information as fast as possible.”
Recent Incidents & Responses
Several high-profile breaches have underscored the urgency of this issue:
- A major hospital in California experienced a breach that exposed sensitive data of over 500,000 patients, showcasing the dire consequences of inadequate cybersecurity measures.
- Another incident at a health clinic in Florida saw former patients receiving ransom demands from a cybercriminal, requesting money to prevent the release of their personal information following a breach of the clinic’s server.
These incidents not only compromise patient trust but also highlight the acute need for robust cybersecurity protocols. In response, many healthcare facilities have begun overhauling their cybersecurity measures, increasing their network defense budgets and outsourcing to cybersecurity experts, such as Xobee Networks. The benefit of partnering with specialists like Xobee, is that hospitals can focus on their patients while the tech experts focus on their network.
Initiatives include frequent cybersecurity audits, enhanced staff training on identifying and responding to phishing attempts, and upgraded software to thwart malware attacks.
How Xobee Can Safeguard Your Health
At Xobee Networks, we understand the critical nature of cybersecurity, especially in the healthcare sector. Our comprehensive suite of services is designed to protect your facilities from the growing menace of cyberattacks
Our experts provide tailored consulting to strengthen your security posture, assess vulnerabilities, and implement strategic defenses that include virus protection and spam filtering. We offer secure cloud hosting services that ensure your data is protected, backed up, and easily recoverable in the event of an attack. Our robust data backup solutions ensure that you can quickly restore operational data disrupted by cyber incidents, minimizing downtime and maintaining continuity of care.
Let Xobee be your shield against cyber threats. With our cutting-edge technology and expert services, we empower your healthcare facility to focus on what matters most — patient care. Secure your operations, protect your data, and prepare for the future with Xobee, where we make technology work for you.
Contact us today to ensure your hearthcare data is safe and protected.
Xobee now has engineers servicing clients within Fresno, Clovis, Madera, San Jose, Sacramento, San Francisco & the Bay Area, Los Angeles, Santa Monica, Las Vegas, Bakersfield, San Diego, San Luis Obispo, Anaheim, Palm Springs, and more.
Cody Sarhan | Communications Specialist, Xobee Networks
