The healthcare industry is no stranger to cybersecurity incidents, with phishing and malware attacks on the rise. These attacks have the potential to severely impact patient care and disrupt hospital operations. Let's take a look at some statistics that highlight the prevalence of cybersecurity incidents in the healthcare sector:
According to the HIPAA Journal, in 2020, there were 642 reported healthcare data breaches, resulting in the exposure of over 29.3 million records. This represents a 25% increase in data breaches compared to 2019 (source: HIPAA Journal, 2021 - https://www.hipaajournal.com/2020-healthcare-data-breach-report/).
In 2021, the Verizon Data Breach Investigations Report indicated that the healthcare industry experienced 12% of all data breaches, with 58% of these breaches involving personal data (source: Verizon, 2021 - https://www.verizon.com/business/resources/reports/dbir/).
Phishing attacks are a significant threat in healthcare. A 2021 report by Proofpoint revealed that 57% of healthcare organizations experienced email fraud attacks, and 49% faced malware attacks in a span of 12 months (source: Proofpoint, 2021 - https://www.proofpoint.com/us/resources/white-papers/state-of-the-phish).
Ransomware attacks targeting the healthcare sector have become increasingly common. In 2020, the number of reported ransomware incidents in healthcare increased by 50% compared to the previous year, with some attacks leading to delayed patient care and the temporary closure of hospitals (source: Check Point Research, 2020 - https://blog.checkpoint.com/2020/10/28/double-trouble-ransomware-attacks-on-healthcare-orgs-double-as-cybercriminals-seek-maximum-disruption/).
The cost of cybersecurity incidents in healthcare is staggering. A 2021 IBM Security study found that the average cost of a data breach in the healthcare industry was $9.23 million, the highest among all industries surveyed (source: IBM Security, 2021 - https://www.ibm.com/security/digital-assets/cost-data-breach-report/#/).
These statistics underscore the importance of robust cybersecurity measures, such as passwordless MFA, in the healthcare industry. By implementing strong authentication solutions, hospitals can better protect patient data and reduce the risk of costly and disruptive cyberattacks.
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