Should Hospitals Negotiate with Hackers if Hit with Ransomware?
In Part VI of our series, What You Need to Know: Hospital Ransomware Attacks, we ask guest Tom Andre, VP of Information Services at CAP, Inc., about the implications of negotiating with ransomware attackers. We also discuss whether hospitals and the healthcare system can expect to be targeted more frequently, in the light of the successful attack on Hollywood Presbyterian Medical Center.
Mr. Andre brings up several important points. First, ransomware attacks have generally been opportunistic and random, but there is no reason that they cannot be more targeted. Attackers are growing in sophistication and in their ability to penetrate into a computer network, so it is possible that they will use these skills to target particular industries or organizations, including hospitals and other healthcare targets.
Secondly, it is very difficult to catch cyber criminals, as they are often located in other countries and use digital means to hide their operations. Additionally, ransoms are usually paid in electronic currency, such as Bitcoin, which is difficult to trace. Hospitals need to remain vigilant and aware of the types of attacks that are happening, as well as new trends in cyber-crime. To learn more, watch Part VI of our series below. To watch the full interview, click here.
