In a significant move to address the growing cyber threats facing our nation's healthcare infrastructure, the White House has made a critical announcement acknowledging the severity of these risks, particularly to small and mid-sized hospitals.
With cyberattacks on healthcare systems rising by an alarming 128% from 2022 to 2023, the urgency for robust cybersecurity measures has never been more apparent. The announcement also highlighted commitments from leading technology companies.
However, a blindspot remains. Although additional attention, financial assistance and expert advice are welcomed and needed support, the increasingly complex infrastructure and legacy networked environments of these hospitals are exposed.
In this blog post we explore the importance of gaining complete visibility of a hospital’s network, so that IT teams can take full advantage of this important announcement.
The Statistics Are Staggering
In addition to the above-mentioned Office of the Director of National Intelligence statistic, another report found that the healthcare sector accounted for 20% of all publicly-reported data breaches, making it the most vulnerable to cyberattacks.
The past year has seen a dramatic increase in cyber attacks targeting hospitals and healthcare providers. Notable incidents include a major attack in early 2024 that disrupted one out of every three healthcare claims in the United States, delaying payments to providers and impacting patient care.
Other significant breaches have forced hospitals to divert care and scramble for alternative funding, highlighting the critical need for enhanced cybersecurity in the healthcare sector.
Smaller Doesn’t Mean Safer
Small and mid-sized hospitals are particularly vulnerable to these attacks. Lacking the extensive resources of larger institutions, these hospitals face unique challenges in defending against cyber threats. Their critical role in providing healthcare services, especially in rural areas, makes their protection a national priority.
In fact, a recent survey of one hundred hospital IT executives revealed that small and mid-sized hospitals are most at risk of cyber-attack, with 48% of executives revealing that their organization had been forced to shut down in the last six months due to a cyber-attack.
Specifically, those surveyed from hospitals with 1,000 or more beds reported an average device shutdown time of 6.2 hours at a cost of $21,500 per hour. For mid-size hospitals (less than 1,000 beds), those numbers ballooned to an average 9.8 hours and a shutdown cost of $45,700 per hour.
Welcomed And Needed Support
In response to these challenges, the White House has secured commitments from leading technology companies to provide free and low-cost cybersecurity resources to rural hospitals.
One is offering significant discounts on security products and free cybersecurity assessments, while the other is providing endpoint security advice and launching pilot programs to tailor security solutions to the needs of rural hospitals.
While this support is crucial, it is not a silver bullet. Hospitals require complete visibility into their complex cyber-physical infrastructures, which are often built upon legacy networked environments, to effectively safeguard against cyber threats.
Why Healthcare Is So Vulnerable
According to the 2023 FBI Internet Crime Report, the healthcare sector reported more ransomware attacks than any other critical infrastructure sector, and attacks involving ransomware against the healthcare sector were up nearly 130%. These risks stem from a litany of unique challenges facing hospitals:
Do You Have Complete Visibility?
UncommonX offers a robust cybersecurity solution designed to provide complete visibility and protection for healthcare networks. Our technology deploys quickly and integrates seamlessly with all public clouds, technologies, SaaS applications, and APIs.
By providing real-time visibility and expert management, UncommonX ensures that small and mid-sized healthcare providers can maintain a secure and resilient digital environment. Our platform includes:
For hospitals struggling with legacy systems, UncommonX delivers a comprehensive and reliable solution that is both easy to implement and manage. This ensures complete visibility and the ability to take full advantage of the recent White House announcement.
Take Action Today
Let us help you build a more secure and resilient healthcare system, ensuring that your institution can continue to provide essential care without disruption. Contact UncommonX today to start your complimentary NIST security assessment and uncover the true state of your network—hello@uncommonx.com.