A PR Issue
Ransomware attacks are a major PR issue for the nation’s hospitals. Although there is little to be done once one occurs, the question remains whether a hospital had adequate cyber security in the first place to prevent it. The answer is frequently they have not. Attacks like this are life threatening and a tremendous strain on a system’s operations and personnel. Even though security is costly, it is less expensive than handling and cleaning up after an attack. There is no excuse for a failure to have strong security. The public has known for decades that such attacks are occurring, and it is up to organizations to stop them. A best-efforts excuse a hospital might use will increasingly ring hollow. Saying, “We did our best to stop intrusion, but it happened anyway,” won’t buy much protection in a lawsuit. It is past time to become deeply concerned about cybersecurity and reputations of hospitals and other organizations will rest on keeping systems safe.
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