World cybersecurity leaders form Advisory Council to tackle growing healthcare cybercrime

Healthcare IoT and medical device cybersecurity specialist, Cylera, has formed its first Advisory Council bringing together World leaders in cybersecurity to share insight and drive innovation to help tackle the myriad of security challenges facing today’s rapidly digitalising healthcare sector. 

As a critical infrastructure, healthcare remains a top target for cybercriminals with access to rich patient data and a potential to cause significant damage and disruption to patient care.

This threat is ever greater with rising geopolitical tensions and potential state-sponsored attacks. 81% of UK healthcare organisations experienced a ransomware attack last year with patient in-person appointments having to be cancelled as a result, for two-thirds of these organisations.

Sixty-five percent admitted that a cyberattack could increase patient mortality rates. The average cost of a data breach in the global healthcare sector amounted to US$10 million (£7.9 million) last year according to IBM. 

the potential cybersecurity risk to the sector is anticipated to get worse with further digitalisation.

Timur Ozekcin, CEO of Cylera, said: “Remote user access, unsegmented and potentially unmanaged networks, legacy operating systems and limited visibility into IoT device risks are just some of the security challenges keeping healthcare leaders and heads of IT awake at night as they try to navigate the complexities of today’s interconnected device landscape.”