David Chou –
Ascension Health’s recent ransomware cyberattack is a stark reminder of the urgent and shared responsibility we all bear in the face of escalating cyber threats. The past five years have witnessed a staggering 256% increase in large breaches involving hacking and a 264% increase in ransomware incidents reported to the Office for Civil Rights (OCR). As healthcare CIOs, we must urgently lead the charge in rethinking our cybersecurity strategies.
Cybersecurity breaches directly impact patient safety, as seen in incidents where healthcare organizations had to divert patients because clinicians could not access electronic systems. Errol Weiss, Chief Security Officer at Health-ISAC, agrees and said, “When hospitals get attacked by ransomware, it becomes an attack on patient care and safety. Hospitals cannot rely on the government for help. They need more investments in cyber security — including technology and the people to run those systems — to better protect the complex IT infrastructure used in today’s modern hospitals.”