Inside the Cyber Crisis Facing Healthcare | #hacking | #cybersecurity | #infosec | #comptia | #pentest | #ransomware

The healthcare sector has become a target for both low-level and occasionally highly disruptive cyberattacks. Hospitals, insurers, medical supply chains, and service providers are prime targets for threat actors, with phishing attacks, ransomware, and data breaches on the rise. In 2024, 94% of U.S. healthcare organizations experienced a cyberattack, with an average cost per organization of $4.74 million, a 5% increase from the previous year¹. National security bodies predict that cyberattacks on healthcare and other critical infrastructure could triple in the coming years.As previously reported by MSSP Alert, phishing, where attackers impersonate trusted entities, has become the most significant cyber threat, responsible for an estimated 60% of all healthcare breaches. Ransomware attacks, which often begin with phishing, are particularly damaging and costly to remediate. The 2024 Change Healthcare breach, which impacted hundreds of millions of individuals, is a stark example of the scale of such disruption.This guide outlines common healthcare sector vulnerabilities, emphasizing the importance of prioritizing email security, where 90% of attacks originate.² Using industry-wide data, we explore common attack types and how to mitigate them.If successful, this approach will help cybersecurity professionals, C-level executives, and other healthcare stakeholders identify critical measures to strengthen their defenses:

Cybersecurity in Healthcare: Growing Risks

The healthcare industry’s digital transformation has revolutionized patient care, data sharing, and service delivery. But these advances come with significant cybersecurity challenges. Outdated systems and the high value of electronic protected health information (ePHI) make healthcare organizations prime targets for attackers.

The Current Threat Environment

Cybercriminals exploit security gaps using both basic and advanced tactics, including social engineering and phishing, to launch damaging ransomware attacks. The global scale and sophistication of cybercrime have reached the level of national security concern. Open-source and government intelligence estimates suggest cyberattacks targeting critical infrastructure will triple in frequency and impact.The black-market value of ePHI (with medical records selling for $60, Social Security numbers for $15, and credit cards for $3), along with outdated legacy systems, growing data dependency, mergers and acquisitions, resource constraints, and low cybersecurity awareness, all contribute to the sector’s vulnerability.

Threats Targeting Healthcare

Email Phishing Attacks: Phishing is the most prevalent cyber threat in healthcare. Attackers send deceptive emails to trick healthcare workers into revealing credentials or clicking malicious links. A recent HHS report detailed the rise in Business Email Compromise (BEC), where attackers spoof legitimate domains, resulting in some of the costliest attacks.Ransomware and Data Breaches: Ransomware can shut down hospital systems and force organizations to pay large sums to restore operations. The 2024 Change Healthcare attack, which affected more than 190 million individuals and cost over $2 billion, underscores the severity of such incidents.Weak Email Security: Analysis of public data shows that 61% of recently breached healthcare organizations lacked a valid DMARC policy³, exposing them to spoofing, BEC, and impersonation. This makes phishing attacks far easier for threat actors to execute.

Recommendations

To strengthen their cybersecurity posture, healthcare organizations should:

A Five-Step Model for Phishing Defense

Bottom Line

Healthcare faces a growing wave of cyber threats that will escalate with increasing digital complexity. Without foundational defenses, such as strong email security, continuous staff training, and real-time threat detection, organizations will remain exposed to costly, large-scale data breaches that risk financial health, patient trust, and operational continuity.Action Required: Healthcare organizations must make email security and broader cybersecurity strategies a top priority to defend against the evolving cyber threat landscape.