The growing digitalization of hospitals has turned clinical information into one of the most critical assets of the healthcare system and, at the same time, one of the main targets of cyberattacks. When a hospital suffers a computer attack, not only is access to data at risk, but the continuity of healthcare activity may be compromised.
Spain registers 177,000 cyber attacks every year
According to the latest National Security Report, Spain registers around 177,000 cyberattacks every year, many of them directed against critical infrastructure such as hospitals, airports and other essential services. The high dependence on digital systems makes healthcare centers a particularly attractive target for cybercriminals.
«In most cases, cyber attacks on hospitals seek to encrypt information and block systems to paralyze healthcare activity and demand a ransom. The objective of these attacks is usually not to access the information of a specific patient, but to disable the hospital systems to interrupt their operation and put pressure on the organization by paying a ransom,” explains Ruth Cuscó, managing director of ASHO.
Spain is one of the countries that receives the most cyber attacks worldwide, according to various studies included in the National Security Report
According to the latest data, the threat continues to grow and cybercrime has established itself as one of the main challenges for the security of administrations, companies and critical infrastructures. In fact, cybercrimes were the only type of crime that increased significantly in Spain during the last year, a trend that reflects the rise of this type of attacks and the growing risk faced by both public administrations and essential companies and services.
Spain, the second most attacked country in the world
«Hospitals are especially vulnerable because any interruption to their activity has an immediate impact. That is precisely the trick that cybercriminals exploit when carrying out cyberattacks: blocking the systems to prevent the hospital from operating normally,” says Ruth Cuscó.
Furthermore, according to some studies, Spain is one of the countries that receives the most cyber attacks worldwide. According to different studies included in the National Security Report, our country is the second most attacked in the world and around a thousand of these digital attacks target critical infrastructure and services, including hospitals and airports.
«When a hospital is attacked, not only the computer systems are compromised, but also the center’s ability to continue providing care. That is why this type of attacks has a much greater impact than in other sectors,” concludes the managing director of ASHO.
ASHO, with more than 30 years of experience in the hospital sector, is a company specialized in offering professional services with added value in hospital information systems. Its objective is to contribute to greater quality and excellence, offering services and systems that facilitate the management and work of its clients.
