Recently, there has been a noticeable increase in ransomware attacks on hospitals throughout the United States, disrupting patient care and endangering lives due to inadequate cybersecurity measures. The effects of these attacks on rural hospitals are particularly devastating due to a lack of adequate training and necessary resources that urban hospitals regularly have access to. A cyberattack that disables a rural hospital’s systems can prevent ambulances from delivering patients and forcing staff to revert to manual processes.
In response to these escalating cyberattacks, Microsoft and Google, with support from the White House, have joined forces and committed to providing comprehensive cybersecurity support, including free security updates, assessments, staff training, and tailored cybersecurity advice through a new pilot program.
The initiative follows private discussions between the firms and White House National Security Council officials, who are increasingly alarmed by the growing cyber threats to the healthcare sector.
Why it matters: Cyberattacks on rural hospitals pose significant threats to patient care and safety. Strengthening their cybersecurity is crucial to ensuring that essential healthcare services remain operational and patient data remains secure. By providing free or discounted cybersecurity services, Microsoft and Google are helping to safeguard these critical facilities against disruptions that could have life-threatening consequences.
- Rising Cyber Threats: Ransomware attacks on the U.S. healthcare sector increased 128% in 2023 compared to the previous year. Recent attacks have had particularly severe impacts, such as disrupting major health insurance billing firms and hospital chains, forcing manual operations, and endangering patient safety.
- Rural Hospitals’ Vulnerability: The approximately 1,800 rural community hospitals in the U.S. often lack the necessary IT security resources and cybersecurity-trained staff, making them prime targets for ransomware attacks. These hospitals are critical as they are often the only healthcare facilities within miles.
- Tech Firms’ Contributions: Microsoft has pledged to offer free security updates, security assessments, and training for eligible rural hospitals. Google will also provide free cybersecurity advice and start a pilot program to tailor its services to the specific needs of rural hospitals.
- International Cybercrime: The FBI and its allies are actively targeting ransomware gangs, many of which operate from Russia. Despite efforts to crack down on these groups, ransomware remains a lucrative business due to the high likelihood of ransom payments by desperate healthcare providers.
Microsoft and Google are Helping Rural Hospitals Protect Themselves from Cyberattacks – Quartz
