IT security for hospitals and healthcare facilities

Since the outbreak of the Covid-19 pandemic, computer attacks on government establishments, particularly healthcare establishments, have multiplied. These attacks caused huge data losses and significant financial losses. The coronavirus has amplified cyberattacks, not only against companies, but also against hospitals.

The pandemic infected both humans and healthcare establishments. Examples include the two computer attacks on the Centre Hospitalier de Dax – Côte d’Argent and the Hôpital Nord-Ouest in Villefranche. Implementing an effective IT security strategy against cybercrime is a necessity. In fact, in February 2021, the President of the Republic announced the implementation of a national cybersecurity strategy with a budget of one billion euros.

The government’s cybersecurity strategy

Several decisions have been taken in recent months to combat cyber attacks.

The allocation of an envelope of one billion euros to develop cybersecurity was the decision taken by the Head of State in February 2021 following the computer attacks on healthcare establishments. Objective: improve cybersecurity and better control/develop new technologies and innovative sovereign solutions.

Hospitals and healthcare facilities targeted by cyber attacks

As you know, healthcare establishments manage confidential and often sensitive data. These establishments are therefore prime targets for cybercriminals.

Cyber-attacks can lead to the malfunctioning of your IT equipment. The massive use of telecommuting since the outbreak of the pandemic has only led to an increase in the number of attacks.

Hackers use a variety of techniques to break into e-mail inboxes and steal important information and confidential personal and/or business documents.

Numerous studies have shown that e-mail is one of the main vectors of cyber-attacks and computer viruses. There are more than 10 types of e-mail attack. These include spam, malware, data exfiltration, URL phishing, domain name theft and account hacking.

Today’s healthcare establishments suffer from a number of problems, including overcrowding, lack of equipment and nursing staff, absenteeism and work intensification.

The problem requiring swift action is the lack of a cybersecurity strategy. Most hospitals are ill-equipped with IT solutions against attacks. These establishments are therefore in the crosshairs of cybercriminals, and are targeted several times a day.

Cyber attacks can have fatal consequences, not only in economic terms, but also in human terms. Indeed, the paralysis of a hospital’s IT system can lead to the shutdown of equipment, servers and communication channels between different departments.

With the number of computer attacks on the rise, this health crisis has highlighted the importance of the fight against hackers. Hospitals, like many other establishments, suffer from a shortage of staff trained in IT security, as well as in innovative solutions for email protection.

The importance of protecting hospital emails

Research has shown that most computer attacks take place via e-mail. Spam is everyone’s problem. It’s also the gateway to malware and viruses.

It is estimated that healthcare establishments fall victim to more than 50 phishing attacks per hour, and that since the outbreak of the health crisis, e-mail threats have increased by more than 45%.

That’s why hospitals need to pay particular attention to protecting their professional e-mail systems. Innovative cybersecurity solutions are the most effective way to combat attacks.

Protecting all the mailboxes on a healthcare establishment’s network requires powerful, high-performance software to block all these attacks. Altospam is one of the most secure solutions available today. This is a complete e-mail security service, including 16 anti-spam and 6 anti-virus programs in Software as a Service (SaaS) mode. This cloud-based IT protection software offers the best email filtering service.

Developed by computer security experts, Altospam works in real time to eliminate all unwanted e-mail and provide your healthcare facility with optimum protection against spyware, cyber scams, computer viruses, ransomware and Trojans. It’s an effective proactive IT defense system to protect all your corporate email addresses.