Israeli Hospital Cyber Attack – Need for Proactive Security for Healthcare

A ransomware attack on an Israeli hospital last week has highlighted the need for increased security in the healthcare sector. The Israeli hospital cyber attack caused the hospital to temporarily suspend its IT systems and divert patients to other facilities.

Israeli Hospital Cyber Attack

A ransomware hacker group published on Wednesday that patient's data was stolen from Israel's Mayanei Hayeshua Medical Center. The “Ragner Locker" group followed with their threat to release of sensitive information gathered from a hospital in Bnei Brak, near Tel Aviv about a month ago, if they did not receive ransom amounting to tens of millions of shekels. They claimed to have released the first 442 gigabytes of data to the dark net. More would follow if the ransom demand was not met. It is a war of attrition for sure.

AIIMS cyber attack has not been too old to forget and the findings of IBM Security’s ‘The Cost of a Breach’ report 2023 indicate that the healthcare sector is the top target of hackers worldwide. Suffice it to say that Israel has proved to the one of the leading countries in the robustness of its cyber security systems and its commitment to Cyber Iron Dome. Nobody can deny their commitment to this cause and today nearly one-fifth of investment in cyber security finds its way into Israel.

Hackers they say are made of steel, by way of the length they can go pick up the precise expertise and endless perseverance they display to their cause. This has been the differentiator for long. Their intelligence flows at the speed of thought, how it happens in the cyber security and investigation ecosystem need not be elaborated here. Israel with all its capabilities has been at the receiving end of the cyber-attacks. Might be the hackers/hacking groups feel that if they can hack there, they would automatically arrive on the world scene. A recent news report says that hackers have published records after the Israeli hospital cyber attack.

It is not known whether the files of Benjamin Netanyahu or other top leaders are a part of this leak. Israel's Privacy Protection Authority confirmed signs of a leak of information from the hospital's systems. "It was discovered that this was an actual indication of a leak of sensitive personal information." Ragnar Locker group has "attacked dozens of health systems around the world." A test of the preparedness of hospitals revealed deficiencies in medical center's security precautions and response to the "hack." What is even more worrying is the vulnerability of hospital equipment, such as ultrasound and MRI scanning devices, which are integrated into hospital information networks. It opens new vistas of damage unimagined so far. Everyone is at risk.

How to Avoid Cyber Attacks on Hospitals

There are several things that hospitals can do to protect themselves from ransomware attacks. Here are security measures that hospitals can take to avoid incidents similar to the Israeli hospital cyber attack:

• Use reputable antivirus software and keep it up to date.
• Utilize Multi-Factor Authentication to further foolproof your data security.
• Segment your network so that if one part is compromised, the rest of the network is protected.
• Have a backup plan in place so that you can restore your data if it is encrypted by ransomware.
• Train your staff on how to identify and report suspicious emails and attachments.
• Be aware of the latest ransomware threats and how to protect yourself from them.

By taking a proactive approach to cybersecurity, hospitals can help to protect themselves from ransomware attacks and other threats.

In addition to the above, hospitals can also work with cybersecurity experts to develop a comprehensive security plan that is tailored to their specific needs. Prime Infoserv LLP, a CERT-In empanelled security auditor is always ready to handle your security requirements with Governance, Risk and Compliance (GRC) services and Managed Security services (MSS).

Write to us at info@primeinfoserv.com or contact us at +913340085677 for queries about implementing a proactive approach and safeguarding your critical data. Make sure to follow our Facebook page as well as Instagram page for more information about us.