Cybersecurity for Hospitals and Healthcare Facilities: A Guide to Detection and Prevention

This book is a wake-up call explaining how to detect and prevent the hacking of medical equipment at hospitals and healthcare facilities. The vulnerability of the medical equipment inside the hospital to cyber-attacks far eclipses the actual building equipment. A cyber-physical attack on building equipment pales in comparison to the damage a determined hacker can do if he/she gains access to a medical grade network. A medical grade network controls the diagnostic, treatment and life support equipment on which lives depend.

Recent news reports how hackers struck hospitals with ransomware that prevented staff from accessing patient records or scheduling appointments. Unfortunately, medical equipment can also be hacked and shut down remotely as a form of extortion. Criminal hackers will not ask for a $500 payment to unlock an MRI, PET, CT Scan, or X-Ray machine—they will ask for much more.

Litigation is bound to follow and the resulting punitive awards will drive up hospital insurance costs and healthcare costs in general. This will undoubtedly result in increased regulations for hospitals and higher costs for compliance. Unless hospitals and other healthcare facilities take the steps necessary now to secure their medical grade networks, they will be targeted for cyber-physical attack, possibly with life-threatening consequences.

Cybersecurity for Hospitals and Healthcare Facilities shows what hackers can do, why hackers would target a hospital, the way they research a target, ways they can gain access to a medical grade network (cyber-attack vectors), and ways they hope to monetize their cyber-attack. By understanding and detecting the threats, hospital administrators can take action now – before their hospital becomes the next victim.

Table of Contents

Chapter 1: Hacker Reconnaissance of a Hospital Network
Chapter 2: How Hackers Gain Access to a Healthcare Facility or Hospital Network
Chapter 3: Active Medical Device Cyber-Attacks
Chapter 4: Medical Facility Cyber-Physical Attacks
Chapter 5: Hospital Insider Threat
Chapter 6: Detection of Cyber-Attacks
Chapter 7: Preventing Cyber-Attacks
Chapter 8: Cyber-Attack Response and Recovery Planning
Chapter 9: Appendix. Cyber-Attack Response Procedures Template