Healthcare is the third-most-targeted industry by ransomware groups, a Jan. 22 report from Black Kite Research, a third-party cyber risk intelligence company, found.
Here are six things to know from the report:
- Everest and Monti ransomware groups lead attacks on healthcare, with 25% and 20.8% of their victims in the sector, respectively.
- High-volume groups INC Ransom (21.7%) and BianLian (15%) also have a strong focus on healthcare.
- Physicians' offices make up 25% of healthcare victims, followed by general medical and surgical hospitals (22%) and outpatient centers and specialty providers.
- Overall attacks on healthcare organizations have increased by 32% year-over-year.
- The February ransomware attack on Change Healthcare marked a turning point in ransomware operations, leading to a shift toward more aggressive, affiliate-driven models.
- Ransomware groups prioritize victims based on technical vulnerabilities, industry profile, and their likelihood of paying ransom.