A new report focused on the healthcare sector sheds light on the state of cyber attacks in the European Union, including the types of attacks, who’s targeted, motivations, and who’s responsible.
The newly-released Health Threat Landscape report from the European Union Agency for Cybersecurity (ENISA) is the first analysis completed by the agency and covers incidents from 2021 through March of 2023. The data compiled paints a picture of both what healthcare in the EU has experienced the last two years, as well as provides some insight into what to expect more of this year. From the report:
- Incidents are up, with Q1 of 2023 alone equating to half of all 2022’s incidents, and representing a nearly 100% increase over Q1 of 2022
- France experienced the most incidents, followed by Spain, Germany, the Netherlands, and Italy
- Hospitals were the primary target by a lot, representing 53% of all incidents, with 13 other categories of healthcare-related businesses taking up the other 47%
- Ransomware was the leading type of attack, responsible for 54%
- To no surprise, external threat actors seeking financial gain represented the largest segments of actor type and motivation
When 2023 data is presented within the report, it’s evident that some of the targets and attack types are shifting focus as cybercriminals seek to find new organizations that are willing to be their next victim. But one overarching trend is clear: with the number of attacks nearly doubling, you can be certain to expect this to continue throughout the year.
