If you spend any time inside a hospital’s IT department today, you’ll notice something that wasn’t common a decade ago: security alerts popping up every few minutes. Healthcare is now one of the most aggressively targeted sectors for cybercriminals—not only in the US or Europe, but increasingly in India.
You don’t have to look far for evidence. Almost every major Indian newspaper covered the ransomware attack on AIIMS Delhi, which disrupted patient services for days and forced staff to shift to manual records.
And AIIMS wasn’t a rare case. Hospitals in Thane, Hyderabad, and Kolkata have quietly faced their own cyber incidents in the past two years. Many didn’t make headlines, but the impact was felt internally: cancelled surgeries, delayed diagnostics, inaccessible patient histories, and enormous recovery costs.
This sudden surge has pushed healthcare cyber security to the top of every hospital director’s agenda.
Why Healthcare Is at Such High Risk
Hospitals have a unique mix of modern systems and old, outdated ones. You might see the latest cloud-based patient management software running in the same environment as a 12-year-old radiology workstation that hasn’t been patched in years.
Cybercriminals love this combination.
1. Hospitals Hold Extremely Valuable Data
Patient records are more valuable than credit card details on the dark web. They contain addresses, phone numbers, medical histories, insurance details—everything a criminal needs for identity fraud.
2. Lives Depend on System Availability
If a bank goes offline for two hours, customers complain.
If a hospital goes offline for two hours, it can affect patient care.
This urgency makes hospitals more likely to pay ransoms.
3. Legacy Devices Are Everywhere
ICU monitors, imaging machines, laboratory systems—they often run on outdated operating systems that cannot be easily patched or replaced.
BBC reported a striking example during the 2017 WannaCry outbreak, where UK hospitals had to turn away patients because MRI and blood analysis systems were locked.
That same vulnerability landscape still exists today, in India too.
What Hospitals Can Actually Do (That Works)
People often assume cybersecurity is purely technical—firewalls, encryption, and so on. But hospitals need a more balanced approach.
Here are practices that genuinely make a difference:
1. Visibility Into Every Device
Most hospitals don’t even know the exact number of internet-connected devices inside their facility. Without visibility, healthcare cyber security becomes guesswork.
2. Regular Staff Training
Nurses and administrative staff are often the targets of phishing because attackers know they’re busiest. Training them twice a year dramatically reduces overall risk.
3. Segregation of Medical Networks
Don’t let the radiology network connect freely to the main hospital Wi-Fi.
Micro-segmentation would have prevented several past breaches.
4. 24/7 Monitoring Instead of “IT Only” Monitoring
Attacks often begin late at night when only critical care staff are present.
A hospital SOC that operates around the clock is no longer optional.
A Real Example From India: Thane Hospital Ransomware Attack
In 2023, a cyber attack hit Thane Municipal Corporation’s hospital system, locking access to patient data. The news was reported by The Times of India.
Staff were forced to revert to manual registration and handwritten prescriptions.
It took days to restore normal operations.
The problem wasn’t just the attack itself—it was the lack of preparedness to react quickly.
FAQs
- Why are healthcare systems vulnerable to cyber attacks?
Hospitals mix old and new technologies, rely heavily on networked medical devices, and hold sensitive data that criminals find valuable.
- What cybersecurity practices should hospitals adopt?
Asset visibility, network segmentation, staff training, routine patching, and continuous monitoring are essential.
- How can healthcare organizations secure patient data?
Encrypt everything, restrict access to sensitive records, monitor unusual activity, and follow strict authentication controls.
