This article from watchTowr Labs is yet another example of why healthcare organizations (all orgs for that matter) need to start thinking about the next generation of connectivity and remote access.
Imagine this: an unauthenticated attacker gaining root access to your firewall, disrupting operations, and stealing sensitive data. This isn’t a dystopian warning—it’s happening right now.
Two critical vulnerabilities in Palo Alto Networks’ PAN-OS—CVE-2024-0012 and CVE-2024-9474—are being actively exploited. One enables attackers to bypass authentication; the other lets them escalate privileges. Together, they’re a dangerous duo capable of executing arbitrary code and compromising entire networks.
For healthcare organizations, the stakes couldn't be higher. With sensitive patient data and lives on the line, vulnerabilities like these underscore an urgent need to rethink connectivity and remote access strategies.
Patching systems is critical, but it’s time to consider next-generation solutions that prioritize robust, future-proof security.
This isn’t just a tech problem—it’s a business survival problem. Don't wait until it's too late.
The statistics of being attacked and what happens afterward should be all you need to know to take action!
📖 Prevalence of Attacks: In 2024, 67% of healthcare organizations experienced ransomware attacks, marking a four-year high.
📖 Financial Impact: The average cost to recover from a ransomware attack in the healthcare sector rose to $2.57 million in 2024, up from $2.2 million in 2023, and double the cost in 2021.
📖 Downtime Costs: Ransomware-induced downtime costs U.S. healthcare organizations approximately $900,000 per day.
📖 Data Breach Costs: The average cost of a healthcare data breach reached $11 million in 2023, a 53% increase since 2020.
📖 Patient Impact: Over half of U.S. healthcare organizations reported increased mortality rates due to ransomware attacks in 2022.
📖 Read the full breakdown from watchTowr Labs:
📖Check out this timely piece on cybersecurity rules for health data:
What steps is your organization taking to stay ahead of cyber threats? 🔐