Hospitals say cyberattacks increase death rates and delay patient care

Almost a quarter of healthcare organizations that were hit with a ransomware attack in the last two years said they had increases in patient death rates in the aftermath, according to a new report sponsored by cybersecurity company Censinet. The finding adds to a growing pile of data showing that cyberattacks aren’t just causing financial or logistical problems — they could be major health risks, as well.

“There’s enough impact from ransomware on patient care that it’s undeniable” says Ed Gaudet, CEO and founder at Censinet. “We should not be afraid to look at this data, and to keep pushing on this question.”

The analysis, conducted by a research institute called the Ponemon Institute, collected survey responses from nearly 600...

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