Ransomware attacks and patient records

Ransomware attacks and patient records can be a damaging combination, and this kind of incident is one of the many reasons as to why cybersecurity in the healthcare sector is crucial.

Hackers know that they can stand a good chance of being paid, which is why they target them. The longer information is not accessible by healthcare staff, the more dangers there can be for patients as well. If information is exposed or misused, the problems this can cause for the victims can also be substantial.

Medical data breach compensation cases are one of the most common types of claims that we take forward for people. Here’s how we may be able to help you.

Dangers of ransomware attacks and patient records

The dangers of ransomware attacks and patient records are clear, but let’s put this into some context here.

Cybercriminals could lock entire hospitals out of their systems and try to extort money out of them to get access back. They could set a ransom fee of thousands of pounds which, if paid, may then lead to the hackers decrypting the data.

Whilst hospital staff are unable to access vital patient records and medical data, people are at risk. Real lives are at risk. So much healthcare data is now digitalised, including records. How can a consultant properly treat a patient when they cannot access their information? This is precisely why hackers target the healthcare sector as they know they stand a good chance of being paid given that it could be a life and death scenario.

We saw how much the NHS can be crippled by an attack like this with the infamous 2017 WannaCry attack. These kinds of attacks happen a lot in the US, and leaked data if ransoms are not paid can cause even more problems for the target.

What can victims do?

The dangers of ransomware attacks and patient records could either mean patients suffering physically, or it could mean information being misused or exposed.

If more could, and should, have been done to have prevented the attack, any victims who suffer could claim compensation. It could be personal injury compensation for any physical suffering, or it can be a data breach compensation case for the loss of control of personal information.

Data breach compensation amounts can be substantial when it comes to ransomware attacks and patient records. Data could be sold to the dark web and exploited, so the risks for patients are real when information is no longer secure.

No Win, No Fee representation

We can offer No Win, No Fee legal representation for medical data breach compensation claims. We are more than happy to assess your case for you on a free and no-obligation basis to see if we can help you.

Just contact the team here for advice and assistance.

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