Emerging Healthcare Cyber Threats & How to Protect Against Them

Ever heard the story about the boy who put his finger in a dike to plug a leak? He did it because he knew a small leak could turn into a major breach—the sea would come crashing through to destroy his town. So, he sat there all night until help came, to ensure everything would remain safe.

The real world is not a fictional Dutch legend, but cybercrime is creating a similar serious burden on the U.S. healthcare system as the sea did on that dike. Electronic protected health information (ePHI) is worth a fortune to cyber criminals and is one of the hottest commodities on the dark web, and the pressure to protect it—to keep “the sea” out—is high.

But it won’t be enough to do as the little boy did and plug a leak with your finger—you need to understand what you’re up against and how to truly protect yourself against the biggest threats. As a cybersecurity assessment firm that often works with healthcare organizations to determine their HIPAA compliance, we’re going to outline where you can start.

Healthcare cybersecurity threats will continue to be a concern in 2023 and so it’s imperative for healthcare CIOs and IT staff to be aware of the latest trends in cybersecurity—this article will jumpstart that awareness.

Top 3 Cyber Threats for Healthcare Organizations

Recently, healthcare organizations have experienced a spike in attacks due to three things:

• Their high propensity to pay a ransom;
• The value of patient records; and
• Often inadequate security.

Hackers are taking advantage of stressed healthcare employees and unprotected networks to infiltrate their systems in many different ways, but here are brief overviews of the healthcare industry’s three biggest cybersecurity threats in 2023: 

1. Phishing Attacks 

The numbers mean we start here—cybercriminals from every corner of the globe send out over 3 billion phishing emails per day and U.S. healthcare organizations are some of their prime targets.

Phishing is the practice of sending fake emails or creating fake websites that trick users into divulging login credentials or other personal information through malicious links—this attack vector can be used to gain unauthorized access to sensitive information, such as patient records and financial data, and it is the most prevalent cybersecurity threat in healthcare.

Phishing generally succeeds in this sector when a link in an email scam is clicked and users are directed to a decoy web page usually mirroring a login screen for familiar internal software. Once these credentials are submitted, cybercriminals almost instantly use them to gain access to healthcare systems.

2. Ransomware Attacks 

Sometimes, phishing scams work in conjunction with ransomware—another incredibly prevalent cyber threat for healthcare organizations. Typically, ransomware infects systems and files when a user clicks on a malicious link that then injects malware into a network to encrypt sensitive data until a ransom amount is paid.

Hackers understand how critical it is for the healthcare sector to minimize operational disturbances, which is why ransomware is such a popular attack—it does disrupt critical systems and affect patient data, but sometimes there are even more serious consequences, including delays in care, lost revenue, and even harm to patients.

In 2022, 70% of malware attacks stemmed from ransomware. The impacted hospitals could not access systems such as EHRs, putting patient care and safety at risk.  

3. Business Email Compromise (BEC) Scams 

Also known as email account compromise (EAC), these are another popular cyber-attack—and one of the most financially damaging online crimes. (In 2021, BEC scams accounted for nearly $2.4 billion in losses, according to the FBI.)

In a BEC scam, criminals send an email message that appears to come from a known source—such as a high-level employee or executive—asking an employee for sensitive information or financial transfers. In one of the most common BEC attacks, the hacker obtains access and mines the employee’s contact list for company vendors, partners, and suppliers before messaging these contacts requesting payments be sent to a fake account controlled by the cybercriminal.

In a critical difference from the other attacks we’ve mentioned, this type of scam relies on manipulation and trust—rather than malware—to trick victims into completing requested tasks. As employees are often eager to help a trusted colleague or organizational leader, the scam is extremely effective and can have serious consequences, including financial losses, reputational damage, and regulatory fines.

How Can Healthcare Organizations Protect Themselves Against Cybersecurity Threats?

To avoid falling victim to these cyber threats, prevention is the key. Here are some of our recommended best practices:

 Next Steps for Cybersecurity in Healthcare

Healthcare organizations must stay up to date with current security standards and know how to protect their organizations against these threats. It’s not enough to stick your fingers in leaks when they emerge—you need to prevent leaks. Now, you understand three of the biggest threats affecting your sector, as well as some foundational steps toward said prevention.

But you also have HIPAA considerations to keep in mind while you put these security measures in place, and it may benefit you to go through an assessment with a third party. To learn more, check out our other resources that can shed more light on what would best suit your needs:

• What Is The HIPAA Audit Process?
• HIPAA Express: A Risk-Based Assessment Designed Specifically for Healthcare Providers
• HIPAA Violations and How to Avoid Them