In today’s digital age, the stakes for healthcare practices have never been higher. Cyberattacks are no longer hypothetical; they’re a real and present danger that can immobilise operations instantly. As more healthcare organisations become targets, the pressing question is: how can you protect your practice from these threats without the disruption of constant onsite IT visits?
On 3 June 2024, Synnovis, a pathology lab serving numerous NHS organisations in South East London, was hit by a cyberattack from the Russian group Qilin. The fallout was immediate and devastating: 400GB of private medical data leaked from multiple NHS hospitals. This breach didn’t just compromise patient confidentiality; it led to appointment cancellations, service disruptions, and postponed surgeries. To make matters worse, the attackers shared this sensitive data on the dark web, placing countless patients at risk.
Sadly, the Synnovis case isn’t isolated. Recent government statistics show that UK businesses experienced approximately 7.78 million cybercrimes in the last 12 months. This staggering number includes around 116,000 non-phishing attacks, demonstrating that no sector, not even healthcare, is safe. Even charities aren’t immune, with an estimated 924,000 cybercrimes targeting them over the same period.
Imagine hundreds of patients arriving for vital appointments, only to be sent away because a ransomware attack locked your systems. Therefore, this scenario isn’t hypothetical —it happened to two major NHS trusts, resulting in more than 1,294 outpatient appointments and 320 planned operations being postponed over a week.
Dr Tal Patalon, MD, LLB, MBA, reflecting on the situation, stated: “Given these vulnerabilities, health-oriented cybersecurity solutions are crucially required, should be regulatory enforced and financially encouraged. Healthcare organisations are generally known to be late tech adaptors, with innovative solutions generally taking time to implement in everyday clinical practice. Innovative cybersecurity solutions cannot fall into the same category, as there is no acceptable status quo to maintain, but only an hourglass until the next attack.”
The financial impact of a cyberattack can be staggering. In healthcare, the average data breach cost is around £4.6 million, including expenses such as lost revenue, reputational damage, and regulatory fines.
The idea of protecting your practice from these threats might seem daunting, especially if you envision a constant stream of IT personnel disrupting your daily operations. Fortunately, CloudSecure360 offers a seamless, efficient alternative.
• 24/7 Device Monitoring, Antivirus, and EDR: Continuous monitoring of all devices with next-gen antivirus software that alerts practices immediately to any unusual activity, allowing for prompt issue resolution.
• Ransomware Detection: Sophisticated mechanisms to detect and isolate ransomware threats quickly, preventing damage by halting attacks at the earliest sign of unusual file activity.
• Web Protection: Comprehensive protection against malicious websites, ensuring safe browsing and compliance with internet policies through automatically updated web security tools.
• Remote IT Support: Experience rapid response times and expert assistance, ensuring seamless issue resolution and minimal disruption to your business operations, so you can maintain continuity and focus on your core activities.
With CloudSecure360, you can enjoy peace of mind, knowing your operations are secure and uninterrupted.
Isn’t it time to future-proof your practice? Discover how CloudSecure360 can safeguard your operations and ensure your focus remains where it should be on delivering exceptional patient care. Contact us today.
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