Cyber Risks in the Healthcare Sector

In 2023, a huge cyberattack occurred at the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS), one of India’s most respected institutions of medical learning. It jeopardized patient care and exposed millions of people’s personal and medical information. The attackers wanted a ransom of about ₹200 crores in cryptocurrency, which just goes to show that India’s healthcare sector needs better cybersecurity.

Cyber Insurance for Healthcare Providers

For more insights into how cyber insurance can protect healthcare providers from such devastating breaches, you can read our article on Securing Sensitive Data: Cyber Insurance for Healthcare Providers.

This incident isn’t an isolated case. It is part of a rising pattern in which healthcare facilities around the world, especially in India, are becoming favorite victims of cybercrime. Of course, the healthcare field is becoming so reliant on digital systems, which have many benefits, such as improved patient care and much easier operations and accessibility. However, it has also led to many cyber threats that could jeopardize the privacy and security of patients.

The Digital Transformation of Healthcare: A Double-Edged Sword

In recent years, India’s healthcare system has undergone a massive digitization transition with the influx of new technologies such as Electronic Health Records (EHRs), telemedicine, and Internet of Things (IoT) devices. These days, the medical field has been completely revolutionized by these new technologies and has become much more efficient and accessible. On the other hand, this digital shift has opened up a much larger attack field for hackers, thus making the industry as a whole more susceptible to cyber-attacks.

According to a Check Point Software Technologies report, Indian healthcare organizations experienced an average of 6,935 cyberattacks per week in 2024, significantly higher than the global average of 1,821 attacks per organization. That alone should stress the importance of cyber security to prevent patient confidential information from being compromised and, even worse, the disruption of life-supporting healthcare services.

Why Is Healthcare a Prime Target for Cybercriminals?

Healthcare is one of the most breached industries in the world, and there are many reasons why hackers target it so heavily.

1. Valuable Data: Personal Health Information (PHI) is more useful on the black market than credit card information or regular PII (Personally Identifiable Information). Stolen medical records can be sold for a higher price because they contain comprehensive data, including medical histories, social security numbers, insurance information, and financial details. (which could result in identity theft, insurance fraud, or even blackmail.
2. Critical Nature of Services: In a healthcare facility, extended downtime or interruptions can easily mean loss of life. That makes them more susceptible to paying ransoms to get their services back up and running as soon as possible, which explains why ransomware attacks are so prevalent in this sector.
3. Outdated Technology: The majority of Indian healthcare institutions run on old legacy systems, which are very susceptible to hacking. Many of these systems need to be updated on security and are vulnerable to hackers.
4. Lack of Cybersecurity Awareness: Doctors and nurses know what they’re doing, not in computer security. This ignorance can lead to reckless behavior, such as opening phishing emails or having weak passwords, which leaves the door wide open for a cyberattack.

Types of Cyber Threats in the Healthcare Sector

There are so many different kinds of cyber threats that plague the healthcare industry, and any one of these threats could result in catastrophic damage.

1. Phishing: Phishing attacks involve malicious emails that appear to be from legitimate sources. These emails are always directed at some poor sap who works in healthcare. The sender gets that person to click on a link or open an attachment, which in turn installs a virus or steals their login information.
2. Ransomware: Ransomware is a type of malware that infects a computer and encrypts all of the user’s files with a digital lock until the ransom is paid. For example, in the medical field, ransomware can take down the entire hospital, and the hospital has no choice but to pay the ransom to get back up.
3. Viruses and Malware: Viruses and other malicious programs infect computer systems and destroy or erase data files. Patient charts could be lost, or medical equipment could fail.
4. Hacking: Hacking is the illegal penetration of a healthcare organization’s system to steal or tamper with data. Hackers could take patient records, research data, or even some medical equipment that is hooked up to the Internet.
5. Medical Device Compromise: Medical devices that are now internet-accessible are more susceptible to cyberattacks. Hackers can alter people’s pacemakers, insulin pumps, and doctors and doctors’ digital pens that they use to write prescriptions, and people will die.

The Impact of Cyberattacks on Healthcare

Hackers invading healthcare systems is no laughing matter, not for the organizations themselves but, more importantly, for the patients that they serve.

1. Disruption of Services: A hacker invasion of a hospital can stop all life-saving procedures such as ERER, surgery, and diagnostic tests. This could lead to a delay in treatment, poor patient prognosis, and even death.
2. Financial Losses: Data breaches in the healthcare sector are incredibly costly. Recent studies indicate that the cost per lost record in healthcare is three times as much as the cross-industrial average. Healthcare institutions would also have to pay lawyer fees and regulatory fines. They would also have to do some sort of damage control, like PR campaigns, to make people trust them again.
3. Loss of Patient Trust: Patients trust healthcare providers with their most sensitive information. When that trust is lost, people lose faith in the institution and will receive treatment elsewhere. That might hurt the company’s reputation and financial situation down the road.
4. Theft of Medical Research: They’re not just storage facilities for patient records but also medical research facilities. Hackers could steal years of work and millions of dollars of research to make money or to give a competitor the upper hand.
5. Compromise of National Security: Sometimes, when these hackers attack healthcare facilities, it can become a matter of national security. For instance, if a prominent political figure or government official is in a hospital for treatment, their medical files would be prime targets for intelligence gathering or blackmail.

Challenges in Securing Healthcare Systems

It takes work to lock down the healthcare systems in India.

1. Limited Financial Resources: Many medical institutions, especially the ones in the boonies, could be better off. Allocating funds for cybersecurity can be difficult when resources are already stretched thin.
2. Lack of Cybersecurity Expertise: Healthcare organizations lack the in-house knowledge to implement correctly and continuously maintain strong cybersecurity defenses, leaving them vulnerable to sophisticated cyberattacks.
3. Interconnected Systems:With the increased use of interlinked systems (such as EHRs and IoT devices), new vulnerabilities have emerged. As soon as one system becomes compromised, others follow the same path, which only worsens the problem.
4. Regulatory Compliance: Because of the HIPAA law in the US and the Digital Personal Data Protection Bill in India, or whatever the name of that law is, any organization in the healthcare industry must follow these regulations. Ensuring compliance can be challenging, particularly for smaller institutions.

Mitigating Cyber Risks in Healthcare

Especially when there’s so much on the line, healthcare organizations should take the initiative to prevent these cyber risks.

1. Implement Strong Access Controls: All healthcare facilities need to have very strict access controls so that only the people who are cleared to do so can access sensitive data. This includes using multi-factor authentication and regularly updating passwords.
2. Regular Security Audits: Healthcare facilities that conduct continual security audits can find and repair vulnerabilities before internet punks exploit them.
3. Employee Training: Healthcare staff must be trained on cybersecurity best practices. Workers should also be educated on threats like phishing and what to do if they suspect any invading activity.
4. Invest in Advanced Security Solutions: Even healthcare facilities must pay for intrusion detection systems, firewalls, and encryption so that no one can compromise the data and systems.
5. Develop an Incident Response Plan:  A good incident response plan can limit the damage from a cyber attack. It should entail some sort of procedure for containing the break, minimizing the damage, and restoring the services.

The Role of Cyber Insurance

As cyber threats constantly evolve, so does the number of healthcare organizations seeking protection from the financial loss of a cyberattack through cyber insurance. Cyber insurance can cover the cost of responding to a breach, legal fees, and even ransom. However, with all of that stated, medical facilities must choose a policy with comprehensive coverage tailored specifically for their facility.

Also Read: Cyber Insurance: Securing Sensitive Data for Healthcare Providers

Mitigata: The Path Forward

India’s healthcare sector is at a critical juncture. While digitization has provided great rewards, it has also opened the industry to cyber dangers it has never known. However, healthcare organizations need to take every possible precaution to ensure the security of patient data and that the continuity of care is not jeopardized.

Mitigata, the leading cybersecurity solutions provider, provides a complete service designed specifically for the healthcare industry. From advanced threat detection and response to strong third-party risk management, Mitigata is the healthcare organisation’s escape through cyber jungle. Mitigata allows healthcare facilities to secure their systems, protect their patient’s information, and remain firm against the changing world of cyber attacks.

Secure your healthcare organization today with Mitigata’s cybersecurity solutions. Contact us to learn more about how we can help you mitigate cyber risks and protect what matters most.

Cyber Insurance: Securing Sensitive Data for Healthcare Providers