The Ransomware Epidemic and How Data Encryption is the Only Cure.

Things were just fine at this major US-based healthcare system. Doctors were making their usual rounds, nurses were reviewing their patient charts, and administrators were processing registrations. But beneath the everyday rhythm of operations, an invisible breach was unfolding. Nearly 5.6 million patients were affected by a digital heist carried out by an unauthorized user. This was the story of the Yale New Haven Health Breach.

This very incident, later, was termed the largest healthcare data incident of the year.

As for the frontline staff —nurses, physicians, and other health professionals —this may have been insignificant news, something one would hear and go about their daily routine. But in reality, the truth was that all it takes is to be a tad bit careless and a weak cog in the wheel, only to put millions of patients data and information at risk.

Over the years, cyber attacks on the healthcare industry have surged significantly. And in recent times, this has also become a business model among criminals, where criminals are offering pre-packaged tools and services to other criminal groups to exfiltrate data and information in exchange for ransoms.

While Yale New Haven Health was one such casualty in the deluge of healthcare cyberattacks, another such victim was DaVita.

In August this year, a Denver-based healthcare provider that specialised in kidney care was another victim of ransomware attacks. This attack affected more than 1 million individuals. DaVita confirmed that the hackers gained access to the network, exfiltrated sensitive data, and then went on to encrypt parts of the network that led to crippling their day-to-day operations.

DaVita previously confirmed that this ransomware group had tapped into the laboratory database, hijacking critical patient data and information of nearly 2,689,826 individuals.

What this goes to say is: we are making it extremely easy for ransomware groups to tap into critical information by simply assuming “It would never happen to us.”

It is not that you, as an organisation, are not maintaining data security standards, but the fact that most parts of the healthcare industry have not updated their security and data protection measures.

Ransomware attacks are a form of digital extortion where attackers hijack a company’s network, restrict access to critical data, and demand a ransom in exchange for its release. Ransomware attacks never happen randomly.

They are well-planned. These hackers study you over time, understand your organisation's weak digital security gaps, spot outdated systems, and exploit them. They especially target those enterprises that cannot afford downtime and will do anything to regain control and access.

The healthcare industry is one such victim, a rather easy and more lucrative option for them, rather.

This industry carries copious amounts of patient care information, insurance records, access to the records of deceased patients, medical histories, research files, and studies, and above all, sensitive financial and proprietary information that could be heavily misused.

For instance, not so long ago, a report by TechTarget on how the New Mexico Department of Health Data Breach Exposed Decedent Health Information claims that this very breach has impacted 49,000 individuals. This report proves that even ‘dead data’ is an open target and quite a temptation for criminals to attack.

And so when there are ransomware incidents, much like the February 2024 Change Healthcare attack, which is known as one of the largest ever known digital thefts of the US medical records, sources state that the hackers broke into the network using a set of stolen credentials to an internal system.

That was not protected by a multi-factor authenticator. This one, an additional feature, could have prevented malicious actors from misusing stolen passwords.

While there are no official claims about ransomware groups weaponising deceased patient data information, there is untold evidence about how the dark web has listings that such files exist and how they are already being traded.

For these criminals, this kind of information is GOLD!

No resistance, no one remembers, and easy to manipulate. And that is why all the data and information that the healthcare industry carries is like a sitting duck to attack.

Here are some key statistics and evidence about the trend:

At this point, it is extremely clear that ransomware is not just a security problem, but it is a loophole in the system through which your organisation or your enterprise could be compromised by external or internal factors.

CISOs, IT heads, and our dear decision makers in the healthcare industry, you could potentially be the next in headlines for a data breach incident. This is your wake-up call to fix these gaps. Ransomware is not just a breach of data, but a breach of trust, a stain on your reputation, a lack and lapse in your judgment, and above all, a silent disregard for human dignity and information.

So why leave loose ends when you can opt for a real line of digital defence, and that is encryption. We are talking about a robust and to end uncompromised channel for sharing your files and information securely without anyone intercepting it without your knowledge.

With AxCrypt’s AES-256-bit encryption, your data is airtight. This means you get military-grade protection on a file level, one that is HIPAA compliant, GDPR aligned, and meets the global standard of digital security.

Available on desktop and mobile, the AxCrypt app offers an intuitive interface, secure sharing, MFA, and a cloud safe integration, helping you collaborate with teams and work simultaneously without compromising on your security.