The proliferation of an increasingly accessible and connected healthcare sector has been accelerated by the COVID-19 pandemic in an effort to keep patients and providers safe. This rapid increase in connectivity has led to an increased number of points of contact, which outside attackers could use to obtain sensitive data.
In May, a ransomware attack on Colonial Pipeline caused fuel shortages along the East Coast of North America. Over the past year, hospitals have increasingly been targeted by attacks that can cause a disruption of services. In 2019, the American Medical Collection Agency was targeted, resulting in a stunning breach of healthcare information that affected 21 million individuals and drove the organisation to file for Chapter 11 bankruptcy.
