Healthcare organizations are more likely to pay a ransom during a ransomware attack because of the time constraints and pressure they are under, especially during the COVID-19 pandemic, according to Bloomberg.
For some hospitals, "casualties that would not otherwise occur are a likely outcome because of the ransomware attack," Bill Siegel, CEO of Coveware, which helps healthcare organizations affected by ransomware attacks, told Bloomberg.
Ransomware and phishing attacks around the globe have proliferated amid the pandemic. Hackers are tricking physicians and consumers into clicking on malicious links to COVID-19 information. In return, hackers download malware or ransomware on computers.
"The attackers know that these organizations are so desperate at the moment to build ventilators, or to stop people from getting sick, and they are trying to exploit that," Malcolm Tayler, head of cybersecurity at ITC Secure, told Bloomberg.
However, two leading cybercriminal groups have said they will stop targeting healthcare organizations as the coronavirus outbreak spreads.