4 common cyberattacks hospitals may encounter — Hackers stealing physician identities is one

Mackenzie Garrity -

Many hospitals — 83 percent — have seen an influx in the number of cyberattacks in the past year, according to a survey by cybersecurity firm Carbon Black.

While more hospitals are being targeted in cyberattacks, hackers have gotten more sophisticated. To combat the attacks, 84 percent of healthcare organizations train their employees on cybersecurity best practices at least once a year.

"Valuable data from the healthcare industry exceeds protected health information and the hottest offerings today are provider data, forgeries and hacked health insurance company login information," Carbon Black said.

Here are four common cyberattacks hospitals and healthcare organizations face, according to the survey and cited by The Next Web.

1. Hacking provider data to steal administrative paperwork, such as medical licenses, to steal physicians' identities.

2. Hacking insurance providers' login information to sell it to a buyer who resets the credentials and can claim victims' insurance. This also affects hospitals' access to patient records and other systems.

3. Falsifying health insurance cards, prescriptions and drug labels to illegally transport drugs.

4. Using hacked personal health information against patients who have health issues for extortion.

Copyright © 2024 Becker's Healthcare. All Rights Reserved. Privacy Policy. Cookie Policy. Linking and Reprinting Policy.