Staffing shortages have been identified as the top cybersecurity challenge facing healthcare organizations, a Jan. 2 report from KLAS found.
Cybersecurity
El Paso, Texas-based Las Palmas Del Sol Healthcare has revealed that patient records were inappropriately accessed and potentially disclosed by a former employee over a two-year period, from Jan. 1, 2018, to March 12, 2021.
Hackers targeted healthcare organizations with ransom demands ranging from $4,000 to $10 million, according to Comparitech.
Ransomware attacks have imposed significant financial burdens on U.S. healthcare providers, with an estimated $21.9 billion lost to downtime alone since 2018, according to Comparitech.com.
Healthcare continued to be plagued by hackers and data leaks in 2024, with the industry experiencing its largest-ever cyberattack in February.
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College Hospital Costa Mesa reported that 591 individuals were affected by a data breach of its IT systems on Sept. 17.
HHS plans to modify HIPAA to better safeguard the healthcare industry from hackers.
The Biden administration is seeking tighter cybersecurity regulations after the Salt Typhoon hack in October, according to USA Today.
The average cost of a healthcare data breach decreased slightly in 2024, according to the American Hospital Association's 2025 Environmental Scan report.
A dual Russian-Israeli national has been charged in connection with the LockBit ransomware group, which has targeted thousands of victims worldwide, including hospitals.