BUSINESS INSIGHTS
The UK ’ s healthcare delivery system is digitalising at pace and this is leading to connected healthcare environments becoming ever more complex and therefore , potentially more vulnerable to a cyberattack .
Healthcare has transitioned from maintaining patient records in manila files at each facility to centralised electronic record keeping with complete system interoperability . This encompasses a broad range of users , including general practitioners ( GPs ), hospitals , pharmacies , government population aggregate services and public health systems Furthermore , the adoption of IoT devices for tracking , monitoring and maintenance in the healthcare sector has dramatically increased in recent years . In 2021 US $ 21 billion was spent on IoT in healthcare , which is predicted to increase to a staggering US $ 54 billion by 2029 as medical technologies continue to develop and the sector drives for greater efficiencies in healthcare delivery .
These connected devices vary from radiological cancer treatment systems , x-ray , ultrasound , CT and PET scanners to infusion pumps that provide life-saving medications . The medical industry benefits greatly from these devices , but they also have inherent security flaws that are challenging to patch against security vulnerabilities and to safeguard without the right cybersecurity strategy in place .
It ’ s perhaps not surprising then to know that the healthcare sector is the third most targeted industry globally by cybercriminals with an average of 1,463 malicious attack attempts per week . This is an increase of 74 % from 2021 .
It ' s therefore important not to undervalue the level of security that should be applied to these medical devices . Recent studies have shown ransomware attacks are leading to an increase in morbidity and mortality rates and having an impact on even basic healthcare services like scheduling medication . Medical device cybersecurity is a problem that affects more than just patient privacy ; it impacts the capability and accessibility of www . intelligentcxo . com
67