How did ransomware get so bad?
Do we understand at all levels the importance of Cyber Security nowadays? For some, Cyber Security and its awareness is well understood, for others, it is yet a work in process.
On 10 September 2020, a ransomware attack hit the Düsseldorf University Hospital and disabled the IT system, disrupting the operations temporarily. As a consequence, a patient who needed urgent care died. This security incident makes us realize that cyber criminals have no limits.
Police launch homicide inquiry after German hospital hack
In the article, one expert said “it would be the first known case of a life being lost because of a hack”. Which makes us realize that awareness on how to prevent such attacks should not be limited to the military or financial sector only.
According to the Center for Internet Security (CIS) “The majority of ransomware is propagated through user-initiated actions such as clicking on a malicious link in a spam e-mail or visiting a malicious or compromised website. In other instances, malware is disseminated through malvertising (attacks using advertising to spread malwares) and drive-by downloads (download a malware without user’s conscious), which do not require user engagement for the infection to be successful”. Organizations mitigate the risk of phishing with technical means like web or e-mail proxies. However, malicious e-mails get through regularly, and when that happens, your organizations depend on your employees’ ability to detect the masqueraded e-mail. So, we can say we all play an enormous role to keep the environment we work at safe!
Nowadays, we need to be more vigilant, and in fact, there are enormous reports predicting risks related to Cyber Attacks. One example is a World Economic Forum report showing that 47% of these perceived risks in Belgium are related to Cyber Attacks.
The key message to transmit to everyone, playing any role in any field, is to think about what you do for your customers and the information you are trusted with. It may result in saving lives, not limited to safeguarding assets or private information.
How can we help you? Do not hesitate to reach out to any of our team members in Ordina Belgium.
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