Nearly 1 in 4 providers report higher mortality rates after ransomware attacks

Ransomware attacks can be fatal for patients, according to a September report by the Ponemon Institute.

The report, commissioned by risk management company Censinet, surveyed 597 IT and IT security professionals in healthcare delivery organizations to analyze how COVID-19 and ransomware attacks have affected healthcare delivery, according to a Sept. 22 news release shared with Becker's.

Seven study insights:

1. Twenty-two percent of healthcare organizations report increased mortality rates resulting from ransomware attacks.
   
   
2. Sixty-one percent of respondents said they lack the confidence to combat ransomware, a slight increase from 55 percent before COVID-19.
   
   
3. Sixty-seven percent of healthcare organizations have been victims of ransomware attacks, and 33 percent have been hit at least twice.
   
   
4. Seventy-one percent of respondents said ransomware attacks cause patients to have longer lengths of stay.
   
   
5. Seventy percent of respondents said the attacks cause delays in procedures and tests that result in poor outcomes.
   
   
6. Sixty-five percent of respondents said there was an increase in patients being diverted to other healthcare facilities after a ransomware attack.
   
   
7. Thirty-six percent of respondents said there was an increase in complications from medical procedures after a ransomware attack.