American Hospital Association October 4, 2024
When hospitals are attacked, lives are threatened. This is the reality our entire field faces every day. But the never-ending barrage of ransomware and cyberattacks against the health care sector has only strengthened the resolve of hospitals and health systems to reinforce their defenses and protect safe access to care for patients and communities.
Since the first observance of National Cybersecurity Awareness Month 20 years ago, the scope, frequency and sophistication of cyber incursions into health care has increased steadily. Like a mutating virus, the tactics used by bad actors to steal information, delay and disrupt patient care, and shut down vital systems putting patient care and safety at risk continue to evolve.
Hospitals and health systems for years have...