Page 109 - Cyber Defense eMagazine June 2024
P. 109
Healthcare Industry Under Siege: Latest String of
Ransomware Attacks Renews Emphasis on Cybersecurity
Defenses
By Joao Correia, Technical Evangelist for TuxCare
As the ransomware threat landscape continues to wreak havoc on industries across the nation,
healthcare providers all over the country are having difficulties receiving payment due to an attack that
lasted more than a week at a technology division of UnitedHealth Group. At the end of February 2024,
hackers breached UnitedHealth's Change Healthcare division, a critical player in the intricate U.S.
insurance claims processing system. This breach also disrupted electronic pharmacy refills and
insurance transactions, particularly impacting independent entities, some of which resorted to manual
paper transactions.
While larger, more well-resourced hospitals are better equipped to handle the brunt of a ransomware
attack, many smaller locations and clinics buckle under the lack of cash reserves and access to back-up
technology systems. This cyberattack has served as the latest sign that the healthcare industry is under
Cyber Defense eMagazine – June 2024 Edition 109
Copyright © 2024, Cyber Defense Magazine. All rights reserved worldwide.
