Part 1: Ransomware and the threat of hackers to our healthcare system

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Internet Security System
Internet Security System

forward focus logoThis article is the first of two relating to cyber-security in healthcare and an increasingly problematic hack known as ransomware. Part two of the article, (to be published on April 22), will deal with how healthcare organizations are working to protect our personal information.

Recently a new kind of computer hack has made national and international headlines. This hack is known as ransomware. Ransomware is malicious software created by a hacker with the purpose of restricting access to devices so that they can receive money in exchange for restoring the victim’s ability to retrieve their files.

Bitcoin screen


Ransomware can prevent one from using their computer or mobile device, can block access to their files and prevent certain application – including their browser – from opening. Ransomware can also lock down photos, documents, and videos on one’s mobile phone or PC. In order to regain access to their computer and files, the victim is required to pay the stated ransom in untraceable bitcoins.

I first heard about ransomware last year although the first wave of it in its current form happened back in 2005. Ransomware has only recently become as big a problem as it is now. Over the months of January through March, several different forms of ransomware have reared their ugly heads, taking captive millions of victims from small businesses to hospitals to major news sites such as the New York Times, BBC, and Newsweek.

Hackers are working overtime.
Hackers are working overtime.

While all ransomware hits are bad, the concern has become far greater because the hackers are now targeting healthcare organizations. In fact, several hospitals have been hit by ransomware, including Alvarado Hospital Medical Center, Chino Valley Medical Center, and Desert Valley Hospital.

All of these hospitals are part of Prime Healthcare Services of Ontario, Calif. A recent major hit was against the Hollywood Presbyterian Medical Centre in Los Angeles. The attack to the entire hospital network deemed all systems useless to the point that documents and medical records had to be written on paper, tests results had to be picked up in person, and some patients had to be diverted other hospitals. The hospital ended up paying the hackers $17,000 to unlock their systems.

One hospital network that was recently attacked but did not pay ransom, (which is recommended by many computer experts), was Baltimore, MD-based MedStar Health. Their IT department was able to detect and prevent the ransomware from spreading throughout the network and was able to recover locked files. The healthcare network is sharing their success with other hospitals and healthcare organizations. As of now, the only known healthcare organization to fight back – and win – has been MedStar, but as Marla Durben Hirsch writes, it is time for all of the healthcare industry to fight back.

Ransomeware lock screen
Ransomeware lock screen

It is actually time for everyone to fight back against ransomware, and the best way to fight back is to start with prevention. The way that ransomware succeeds – and why the hackers are often paid – is because we lack security and do not take the proper steps to safeguard our digital world. Several tech organizations have published blogs and articles of what we can do to prevent ransomware, including CNet, ComputerWeekly, Welivesecurity, PCWorld, Microsoft, Tripwire, Symantec, McAfee, and Norton.

All agree that the number one thing that a person or organization can do to minimize the effects of a cyber-attack such as ransomware is to back-up files to a removable source that is not connected to the network. This includes current files and several months of past files to ensure that most – if not all – files are recovered without the need to pay a ransom. ComputerWeekly adds that security should be layered and kept up-to-date. They also suggest that the user check their privileges in case recovery needs to be attempted. PCWorld has published an article on how to rescue a PC from a ransomware attack, but if all fails any files that were backed-up will be automatically available. Welivesecurity has gone a step further by publishing an article that includes a list on how to prevent an attack in the first place.

Having ransomware on one’s system can be scary and frustrating and can make the victim feel helpless. These emotions combined with fear cause many victims to simply pay the ransom, but before paying we need to remember that there are ways to recover files as well as minimize or prevent the effects of an attack.

I look forward to sharing how healthcare organizations are protecting our personal data in my next article. We are in the digital age, and many healthcare-related files – including our personal information – are stored electronically. It takes strong security systems as well as policies and procedures to ensure the safety and security of the data. I will share how this is done and how it is working so far.


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ChicoineBrian Chicoine was born in Nashua and raised in Manchester, graduating from West High School. After earning his undergraduate degree from Rhode Island College in Providence, Brian and his family lived in Manchester for about five years before returning to the Ocean State. Brian has merged his passion for entrepreneurship and innovation with his love of new and bold ideas to bring fresh perspectives on the way things are done. Brian, his wife Jackie and their two boys live in Rhode Island, but their hearts are in New Hampshire.

About this Author

Brian Chicoine

Brian Chicoine is a New Hampshire native who moved to Manchester from Raymond in 1980. While a student at Notre Dame College here in Manchester, Brian transferred to Rhode Island College in Providence, where he met his now wife, Jackie. Brian and Jackie spent the next 20 years living in Providence and Manchester, returning to Manchester with their two sons, (who are proud Manchester natives), in the fall of 2017. He and his family intend on staying in Manchester and are committed to helping make it an even better place to live, work, and play.