Health care organizations last year reported the most ransomware attacks, according to an FBI report on Internet crime reported by Axios. The health care sector reported 249 attacks, the most out of the 16 critical infrastructure industries analyzed by the FBI. Total losses from the identified sectors amounted to nearly $60 million.
Hackers view hospitals, clinics and other health care organizations as lucrative targets because operators tend to pay a ransom to keep critical services running. They also have a wealth of personal information for hackers to take advantage of. Cyberattacks also affect patient care, causing delays in treatment. The Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency released guidelines for health care providers to improve their defenses against attacks.