Healthcare Cybersecurity Statistics 2024

Significance of Cybersecurity in Healthcare

Healthcare providers operate in a high-stakes environment where data breaches have devastating consequences. One of the most severe outcomes of a data breach is financial losses, which include compensating all affected individuals and paying hefty legal fees. 

Beyond that, a data breach harms a healthcare organization’s reputation. Trust is the foundation of healthcare provider-patient relationships, and when patient data is exposed, confidence in your business falls. 

This erosion of trust causes current and potential patients to look for other providers, which, in turn, leads to even more business losses over time.

Healthcare compliance, secure backups, HITRUST cloud security, and data access controls help healthcare organizations reduce the risk of data breaches and unauthorized access. This, in turn, helps to uphold the trust between providers and patients. 

Healthcare Cybersecurity Statistics 2024

Here are the most important healthcare cybersecurity statistics in 2024.

General Insights

• Over the past 12 months, 92% of healthcare organizations in a survey experienced at least one cyberattack, up from 88% the previous year. The average number of attacks per organization was 40. ^[1]
• In 2024, the average cost of a healthcare cybersecurity compromise is $4.74 million, a slight decrease of 5% from the previous year.^[1]
• Organizations faced an average of 20 data loss incidents involving sensitive data like individually identifiable health information over two years.^[1]
• In the first half of 2024, 387 healthcare data breaches involving 500 or more records were reported, a 9.3% increase compared to the same period in 2023.^[2]
• In 2024, breaches compromised approximately 45.6 million healthcare records compared to 50 million in 2023.^[2] 
• Between 2018 and 2023, healthcare ransomware attacks have seen a 278% increase. This is followed by hacking-related incidents seeing a 239% increase and a 93% increase in data breaches.^[2]  

• 80% of executives at healthcare organizations in a survey reported that cyber attacks have breached their information security.^[4]   
• Only 53% of providers consider their systems ready to defend against cyber risks.^[4]    
• April 2024 saw 44 ransomware attacks on healthcare organizations—the highest monthly total in four years.^[5]     
• In the US, attacks against the healthcare sector were up 128% in 2023 compared to 2022.^[6]
• 389 US healthcare institutions shut down and experienced delays in medical procedures due to ransomware in 2024.^[7]
• In 2024, 34% of cyberattacks on healthcare organizations resulted from vulnerability exploitation, another 34% involved compromised credentials, 19% stemmed from malicious emails, 9% were linked to phishing, and 5% were caused by brute force attacks.^[9]

Security Threats in Healthcare

No industry faces the far-reaching consequences of cyberattacks quite like healthcare. Hospitals and clinics rely heavily on uninterrupted access to protected health information (PHI), which makes any breach potentially catastrophic. 

Plus, with stringent regulations like HIPAA, failures in cybersecurity and compliance lead to penalties and damaged reputations. Hackers know this, which is why they capitalize on these vulnerabilities. 

Let’s look at the security threats healthcare organizations are facing in 2024:

• In the past two years, 69% of organizations experienced cloud or account compromises, with an average of 20 incidents. About 63% consider themselves vulnerable or highly vulnerable to such attacks.^[1]
• 68% of organizations faced attacks targeting their supply chains, averaging four incidents over the past two years. About 60% feel vulnerable or highly vulnerable to supply chain attacks.^[1]
• In 2024, 59% of organizations faced ransomware attacks, averaging four incidents over the past two years. Around 54% perceive themselves as vulnerable or highly vulnerable to these attacks—a decrease from 64% in 2023.^[1]
• While only 36% of organizations paid ransom in 2024—down from 40% in 2023—the average ransom increased by 10% to approximately $1.1 million.^[1]
• In 2024, 57% of organizations experienced business email compromise (BEC), spoofing, and impersonation attacks, averaging four incidents over the past two years. 52% feel vulnerable or highly vulnerable to these attacks—down from 61% in 2023.^[1]
• Commonly attacked tools include text messaging (61%), email (59%), and video conferencing platforms like Zoom or Skype (56%).^[1]
• 67% of executives at healthcare organizations believe malware is one of the biggest threats to their security posture, followed by:  
  • HIPAA violations/compromise of patient privacy (57%)
  • Employee theft/negligence (40%)
  • Medical device security (32%)
  • Aging IT hardware (31%) ^[4]

• A survey found that only 13% of healthcare organizations monitored cyber threats more than once a day. 44% of organizations tracked 1–50 cyber threats annually. Another 38% tracked between 50 and 350 threats per year.^[4] 
• In 2024, 67% of healthcare organizations experienced ransomware attacks, an increase from 60% in 2023 and nearly double the 34% reported in 2021.^[9]
• On average, 58% of computers in healthcare organizations were impacted by ransomware attacks in 2024.^[9]
• 7% of healthcare organizations in a survey reported that 91% or more of their devices were impacted during ransomware attacks.^[9]
• The most common entry methods for ransomware attacks in healthcare were exploited vulnerabilities and compromised credentials, each at 34%, followed by malicious emails at 19%.^[9]
• 66% of backup compromise attempts in healthcare succeeded, with only energy, oil/gas, and education sectors reporting higher rates.^[9] 
• The healthcare sector reported fewer extortion-only attacks in 2024, with only one case noted.^[9]
• Healthcare respondents reported data theft in 22% of cases where data was encrypted, a decrease from 37% in 2023.^[9]

Consequences of Cybersecurity Breaches for Healthcare Businesses

Cyberattacks aren’t just an IT issue—they disrupt lives, impact patient safety, lead to financial fallouts, and compromise patient trust. Here are some of the consequences of breaches for healthcare businesses: 

• In 2024, disruptions to normal operations due to cyberattacks averaged $1.47 million—a 13% increase from $1.3 million in 2023.^[1] 
• 69% of organizations in a survey reported that cyberattacks disrupted patient care.^[1]
• 56% of organizations in a 2024 survey observed delays in procedures or tests due to cyberattacks, 53% saw an increase in medical complications, and 28% noted an increase in patient mortality, a 21% rise from the previous year.^[1]

• 65% of organizations affected by cyberattacks reported patient care disruptions in 2024, with 69% experiencing delays resulting in poor outcomes and 57% seeing increased complications.^[1]
• In 2024, 70% of affected organizations reported negative patient care impacts, with 61% noting delays leading to poor outcomes and 58% citing extended hospital stays.^[1]
• Around 92% of organizations experienced two or more incidents between 2022 and 2024, with 51% reporting patient care disruptions. Of these, 50% linked data loss to increased mortality, while 37% reported delays causing poor outcomes.^[1]
• In 2024, organizations that experienced data loss or exfiltration due to cyberattacks saw a 50% increase in patient mortality rate—an increase from 45% in 2023.^[1]
• Median overall recovery costs for healthcare organizations with compromised backups reached $750,000, double that of those whose backups remained secure ($375,000).^[9]
• 98% of healthcare organizations with encrypted data recovered it, with 73% using backups, 53% paying ransom, and 29% choosing other options.^[9]
• The average ransom demand for healthcare organizations reached $4 million (median), the second highest across sectors, with an average mean of $4.9 million.^[9]
• 65% of ransom demands in healthcare exceeded $1 million, with 35% of demands reaching $5 million or more.^[9]
• Healthcare organizations reported a mean cost of $2.57 million to recover from ransomware in 2024, up from $2.2 million in 2023.^[9]
• In 2024, only 22% of ransomware victims in healthcare recovered fully within a week or less, a drop from 47% in 2023 and 54% in 2022.^[9]
• 37% of healthcare organizations took over a month to recover from ransomware attacks in 2024, up from 28% in 2023.^[9]
• Healthcare organizations with compromised backups faced ransom demands more than three times higher ($4.4 million median) compared to those without compromised backups ($1.3 million median).^[9]

Reasons for Cybersecurity Incidents in Healthcare

Many security breaches in the healthcare sector come from internal challenges like employee negligence, insufficient training, and unclear leadership. Let’s look at what the latest data says: 

• In 2024, 31% of healthcare organizations identified employee negligence due to not following policies as the primary cause of data loss or exfiltration. Other causes of data losses and exfiltration included: 
  • Accidental data loss (26%)
  • Employee sends PHI/PII to an unintended recipient through email (21%)
  • Privilege access abuse (20%)
  • Malicious insiders (15%)
  • Social engineering (13%)
  • Phishing (12%)
  • Use of stolen credentials (11%)
  • Exploitation of vulnerabilities (9%) ^[1]

• 52% of organizations are very concerned about risks stemming from employee errors in 2024.^[1]
• 49% of organizations said the absence of clear leadership was a significant barrier to a strong cybersecurity posture in a 2024 survey, up from 14% in 2023.^[1]
• 55% of organizations saw a lack of in-house cybersecurity experience as one of the top challenges to having an effective cybersecurity posture in 2024.^[1]
• While budgets increased by 12% to an average of $66 million (with 19% allocated to information security) in 2024, 40% of cybersecurity teams still view insufficient funding as a challenge and contributor to higher cybersecurity risks.^[1]
• 35% of organizations express concern over employee breaches or theft, 35% over wireless computing, and 27% over ineffective firewalls.^[4] 
• Over half of healthcare CFOs (51%) say privacy breaches are a bigger risk in 2024 compared to 2023.^[8] 

Reduce Your Healthcare Cybersecurity Risks With I.S. Partners

Healthcare organizations handle sensitive patient data, making them prime targets for cyberattacks. In 2024, 92% of healthcare providers reported at least one cyberattack, underscoring the urgent need for robust cybersecurity measures.

A single breach can lead to financial penalties, operational disruptions, and loss of patient trust. Implementing strong defenses ensures compliance with HIPAA, SOC, and HITRUST, while safeguarding patient care and trust.

Partnering with experts like I.S. Partners is essential. We specialize in identifying vulnerabilities, tailoring strategies, and ensuring regulatory compliance to protect sensitive healthcare data.

Our services include comprehensive risk assessments, penetration testing, policy development, employee training, and assistance with achieving HIPAA, HITRUST, and SOC compliance.

Don’t wait to act. Cyberattacks are increasing—protect your organization now. Contact I.S. Partners for a detailed risk assessment and compliance review.

Sources

1. https://assets.turtl.co/customer-assets/tenant%3Dteam/pfpt-us-tr-cyber-insecurity-healthcare-ponemon-report-2024%20(1).pdf 

2. https://www.hipaajournal.com/h1-2024-healthcare-data-breach-report/

3. https://www.ibm.com/reports/data-breach

4. https://assets.kpmg.com/content/dam/kpmg/pdf/2015/09/cyber-health-care-survey-kpmg-2015.pdf

5. https://www.wired.com/story/change-healthcare-22-million-payment-ransomware-spike/

6. https://www.dni.gov/files/CTIIC/documents/products/Ransomware_Attacks_Surge_in_2023.pdf

7.  https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/security/security-insider/emerging-threats/US-healthcare-at-risk-strengthening-resiliency-against-ransomware-attacks

8. https://insights.bdo.com/2024-BDO-Healthcare-CFO-Outlook-Survey.html

9. https://assets.sophos.com/X24WTUEQ/at/4bk9xt4h7gsm4xs6mfzh3k/sophos-state-of-ransomware-healthcare-2024.pdf

About The Author

Robert Godard

Robert is a Principal with I.S. Partners, LLC’s Business Process/Advisory Services practice in Horsham, PA. Robert has conducted a variety of Financial Statement Audits for a range of industries such as banking, healthcare, payroll, employee benefit plans (Pension, Health and Welfare), Unions and Construction.

Robert’s specialty is in audits of IT Controls and Infrastructure, Financial Statements, SOC 1 and SOC 2 audits, HITRUST CSF Assessments, Model Audit Rule (MAR), including evaluating business process as well as IT General Controls surrounding the reporting of financial information. He also has experience with analyzing Health Insurance information from AmeriHealth, Blue Cross Blue Shield, Express Scripts and Delta Dental. Additionally, Robert has performed audits for Construction and Special Tax related credits (Historical Tax Credits). He has prior work experience using ISSI, Great Plains and Peach Tree.

Prior to joining I.S. Partners, LLC, Robert was employed with Novak Francella in the Financial Statement Audit division, where he worked as an associate on external audit engagements in accordance with GAAP and DOL requirements.

Robert has a Bachelor of Science degree in Finance and Accounting from LaSalle University, Philadelphia, PA.