According to research firm IDC Ransomware attacks are expected to double by 2018, with the healthcare sector especially susceptible to ransomware attacks above all other industries. Unfortunately, the latest IDC FutureScape predictions for healthcare IT does not show a change in this trend.

Highlights of the report that also point to the reasons for the increase and the risk below:

• The next three years will be focused on the adoption of disruptive technologies that will enable healthcare digital transformation.
• An increase in internet of things (IoT) technology results in the convergence of mobile, social, and sensors.
• Healthcare is also a particularly soft target when it comes to cyber attacks, due to the historic lack of investment compared to other industries.
• Healthcare organizations also cannot afford to be offline for any length of time, which can feed into some entities being willing to pay the requested ransom.
• Mission-critical clinical systems are not available when IT systems are taken offline for remediation.
• Increased issues with patient safety issues and even lost revenue when patients are diverted to institutions outside the affected network.

Recommendations from the report:

• Healthcare organizations need to remain hypervigilant.
• Ensure that investments are made in employees at all levels understanding that security is everyone’s responsibility.
• Everyone needs to be very careful about what they click on in incoming email.
• Be hypervigilant about installing security patches and keeping security software up to date.
• Firewalls need to remain updated, and different IT assets should be segmented from one another.
• Backups of key systems should also be performed and tested regularly.
• Invest in to your approach to third-party relationships and risk management.