Sixty-one percent of healthcare organizations say they've suffered a cyberattack on their cloud infrastructure in the past year, and the vast majority say these IT incidents hurt them financially, according to a study by cybersecurity vendor Netwrix.
"The healthcare sector is a lucrative target for attackers because the chances of success are higher," said Dirk Schrader, vice president of security research at Netwrix, in an Oct. 27 company news release. "With patient health being the main priority for these organizations, IT security resources are often too stretched and are focused on maintaining only the most necessary functions."
Healthcare was more likely than other industries to face financial consequences from cyberattacks, according to the survey of 720 IT professionals. Thirty-two percent of respondents from other sectors say the IT incidents had no effect on their businesses, compared to only 14 percent of healthcare organizations.
As healthcare groups plan to shift more of their workload to the cloud, from 38 percent today to 54 percent by the end of next year, they must be vigilant about protecting that data, Mr. Schrader said.
"Fast cloud adoption should be accompanied by relevant security measures and special attention to internet-of-things devices and systems," he said. "For example, compromise of respirators or IV infusion devices can lead to physical harm to patients."
He also recommended network segmentation, strictly limiting which humans and machines can access the data and systems, and regularly reviewing and revising that access.