Where else can Ransomware hit? 4b

Ransomware is malware that essentially locks a computer to prevent data from being accessed. The only way to gain access to the system again is to pay the ransom. Why are hospitals the perfect target for these attacks? Well the answer is relatively simple. These organizations provide critical care to patients and rely heavily on the data within the systems to track medication dosage, symptoms, surgical information, etc. Without access to this information a patient’s life can be in danger very quickly. Therefore, the hospital is likely to pay the ransom rather than delay in an attempt to get back into the system without it. This delay could result in a much larger payout for the hospital in lawsuits. Furthermore, hospital workers are extremely well trained in patient care, but are not as highly trained as it pertains to security. Therefore, in a rush to gather information or complete a chart, the individual may not notice a security breach. While ransomware is certainly an extreme example, it emphasizes the need to protect yourself online. There are a few ways that you can do this. The first and most obvious way is to create complex passwords that are changed often and not shared with others. This helps to prevent your accounts from being hacked. Within my organization, a security practice we have in place is notifying our IT team of any suspicious emails prior to clicking on them to ensure that they are not putting our computer or database at risk.