Cyber-attacks against hospitals costing over $6 billion annually
Posted by: Timothy Weaver on 05/14/2015 09:43 AM
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Cyber-attacks against doctors and hospitals have more than doubled in the past five years.
Security researchers say that attacks against the health care industry has cost more than $6 million a year.
According to a study today from the Ponemon Institute, a security research and consulting firm, the average cost is $2.1 million. What is shocking is that nearly 90% of health-care providers were hit by breaches in the past two years.
Tom Kellermann, chief cybersecurity officer at Trend Micro Inc., said: “The health-care industry is being hunted and hacked by the elite financial criminal syndicates that had been targeting large financial institutions until they realized health-care databases are more valuable.”
According to Dell SecureWorks, medical records can include Social Security numbers, insurance IDs, addresses and medical details and can sell for 20 times as much as stolen credit card numbers.
With Social Security numbers, thieves can open lines of credit or take out a loan. Medical data can be used to get free medical care.
Last year, according to a database kept by the Department of Health and Human Services, health records on 88.4 million people were breached as a result of theft or hacking. Medical services are only required to report theft if it involves over 500 clients.
Source: Bloomberg
Security researchers say that attacks against the health care industry has cost more than $6 million a year.According to a study today from the Ponemon Institute, a security research and consulting firm, the average cost is $2.1 million. What is shocking is that nearly 90% of health-care providers were hit by breaches in the past two years.
Tom Kellermann, chief cybersecurity officer at Trend Micro Inc., said: “The health-care industry is being hunted and hacked by the elite financial criminal syndicates that had been targeting large financial institutions until they realized health-care databases are more valuable.”
According to Dell SecureWorks, medical records can include Social Security numbers, insurance IDs, addresses and medical details and can sell for 20 times as much as stolen credit card numbers.
With Social Security numbers, thieves can open lines of credit or take out a loan. Medical data can be used to get free medical care.
Last year, according to a database kept by the Department of Health and Human Services, health records on 88.4 million people were breached as a result of theft or hacking. Medical services are only required to report theft if it involves over 500 clients.
Source: Bloomberg
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