Cyber Attacks on Hospitals a $6 Billion Epidemic, Study Finds

Data breaches have cost the healthcare industry nearly $6.2 billion in the last two years as criminal attacks surged, according to a new Ponemon Institute study.

The fifth benchmark study found that cyber attacks in the industry are up 125 percent since 2010.

“We are seeing a shift in the causes of data breaches in the healthcare industry, with a significant increase in criminal attacks,” said Dr. Larry Ponemon, Chairman and Founder, Ponemon Institute. “New cyber threats, such as ransomware, are exacerbating the problem.”

Researchers found small- to middle-market organizations are at a greater risk for a data breach, as they face limitations in personnel, technology, and budgets compared to large enterprises.

Other key findings from the study include:

• In the last two years, nearly 90 percent of healthcare organizations encountered at least one data breach
• An average data breach costs nearly $2.2 million per hack
• Nearly 45 percent of data breaches in healthcare are a result of criminal activity

Listen to a pre-recorded press webcast at http://bit.ly/1F26LJ2, with Dr. Larry Ponemon and Rick Kam to hear other highlights of the study.