Ransomware Concern with Hospitals

By Ryan Kelly –

Recently, a major ransomware “worm” has infected computers throughout the world, notably those in the healthcare system.  Hospitals were a huge target of this software.

There is a growing concern that healthcare facilities are a prime target because of the outdated hardware and software in many facilities.  Particularly a problem with rural facilities, machines are running software that is 15 years old or more and have not been serviced in 5 years or more.

If you have computers that are running old versions of Windows (Vista, Windows 2003 or 2005) or other old software models, you need to look into updates immediately.  New computers are relatively inexpensive and can be installed with your preferred software and files quickly.   If you do not make this switch, you are prime for a data breach and may be liable for significant problems as well as fines.

Additionally, please instruct all staff to not open suspicious files even if they are sent from a trusted source.  These files (data files, pdfs etc) can contain malware and ransomware files and can infect an entire healthcare system.

In summary, stay updated and be smart with what you open.  You can control your data if you get out in front of the problems early and often!