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Check Point Calls for the Healthcare Sector to Improve its Security Hygiene this World Health Day
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Dubai, United Arab Emirates Check Point® Software Technologies Ltd. (NASDAQ: CHKP), a leading provider of cybersecurity solutions globally, is warning the healthcare sector that it needs to urgently increase its cyber security defenses this World Health Day. Recent data from the company reported that the industry has experienced a 78% year-on-year increase in attacks globally, with an average of 1,426 attempted breaches per week, a concerning statistic given the criticality of health services.
Ram Narayanan, Country Manager at Check Point Software Technologies, Middle East
In its latest Security Report, Check Point identified that this hyperfocus on disrupting our national infrastructure stems not only from the appeal of gaining access to our most sensitive data and medical records, but also the guarantee of media coverage. Both factors put victims under immense pressure, increasing the likelihood that a high ransom fee will be paid.
Specifically in the Middle East, the healthcare sector is the most impacted industry with an average of 3068 weekly attacks per organization over the last six months. The severity of such attacks cannot be emphasized enough, as they can result in life and death consequences. In fact, a survey conducted by the Ponemon Institute found that more than 20% of healthcare organizations reported an increase in patient mortality rates after experiencing a breach.
The healthcare sector is vulnerable for several reasons. Firstly, the increased sophistication and quantity of cyberattacks is not a threat these companies are set up to deal with. Many hospitals rely on a blend of old and new technologies, most of which are either not directly managed or forgotten due to improper documentation. This problem has only increased over time as more IoT and medical devices are added, despite rarely being built securely by design and worrying not being actively managed by the IT team. The current cybersecurity skills shortage also means there's a lack of expertise to help manage this widening attack surface.
Despite these challenges there are technologies and strategies that can help protect healthcare providers. Here are five key elements that every organisation should follow to ensure maximum security:
"Many healthcare organizations have good risk management in place but lack a consolidated, collaborative and comprehensive strategy that offers true cybersecurity resilience. The threat level continues to grow, and the consequences can only get more serious," explains Ram Narayanan, Country Manager at Check Point Software Technologies, Middle East. "Such attacks can not only disrupt operations for these healthcare organizations but lead to loss of lives if services are prevented from being delivered. It is necessary to have solutions to take immediate action, but, above all, to ensure prevention of such attacks in the first place, rather than just detection."
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About Check Point Software Technologies Ltd. Check Point Software Technologies Ltd. (www.checkpoint.com) is a leading provider of cyber security solutions to corporate enterprises and governments globally. Check Point Infinity´s portfolio of solutions protects enterprises and public organisations from 5th generation cyber-attacks with an industry leading catch rate of malware, ransomware and other threats. Infinity comprises four core pillars delivering uncompromised security and generation V threat prevention across enterprise environments: Check Point Harmony, for remote users; Check Point CloudGuard, to automatically secure clouds; and Check Point Quantum, to protect network perimeters and datacenters, all controlled by the industry’s most comprehensive, intuitive unified security management; Check Point Horizon, a prevention-first security operations suite. Check Point protects over 100,000 organizations of all sizes. |
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