How Hospitals Are Combating Ransomware Attacks

Ransomware is one of the most damaging threats to hospitals today. In these attacks, cyber criminals encrypt hospital data and demand payment to restore access. This disrupts patient care, delays treatment, and puts sensitive patient data at risk. Hospital ransomware attacks have risen sharply in the past five years, making prevention a critical part of healthcare cybersecurity.

This article is for hospital leaders, IT teams, clinicians, and healthcare students. It explains the risks of ransomware, the impact on care, and practical ransomware prevention in hospitals.

In 2017, WannaCry ransomware forced several NHS hospitals to cancel surgeries and divert ambulances. This incident made clear that protecting healthcare IT security is as important as safeguarding medical equipment.

Hospitals are prime targets for cyber criminals because they store large volumes of valuable patient data, rely on constant access to IT systems, and often operate legacy medical equipment that cannot be patched easily. These factors create multiple entry points for ransomware and make recovery complex. Attackers exploit the fact that hospitals need to restore operations quickly, increasing the likelihood of ransom payment.

Nature of the Threat

Ransomware infections typically start with phishing emails, malicious links, or infected attachments. These messages are crafted to appear legitimate, often impersonating trusted suppliers, internal staff, or healthcare authorities. Once a user clicks a malicious link or opens a dangerous attachment, ransomware can execute silently.

After gaining a foothold, the malware spreads across the hospital’s network. It targets file servers, electronic health record systems, imaging machines, and even medical devices. Files are encrypted, making them unusable without a decryption key. Attackers then demand payment, usually in cryptocurrency, to provide this key.

A growing tactic is double extortion. In this case, criminals not only encrypt hospital data but also steal it. They then threaten to publish sensitive patient records online if the ransom is not paid. This adds reputational harm and increases legal risk under data protection laws.

Real-World Impact

The threat is not theoretical. In 2020, Düsseldorf University Hospital in Germany suffered a ransomware attack that disrupted emergency services. Ambulances had to be diverted to other facilities, and a patient died after being sent to a hospital further away. Investigations linked the attack to an exploited software vulnerability.

In another case, the Health Service Executive in Ireland experienced a major ransomware incident that forced the shutdown of IT systems across the country. Hospitals reverted to manual processes for weeks. This caused appointment cancellations, delays in test results, and significant disruption to care delivery.

These incidents highlight that ransomware is more than a technical problem. It directly affects patient safety and care outcomes.

Operational Consequences

When ransomware takes hold, the effects ripple through every department. Electronic health records become inaccessible. Diagnostic imaging systems stop working. Laboratory results cannot be processed or shared. Staff must revert to paper-based records, which slows treatment and increases the risk of mistakes.

The disruption is not limited to direct patient care. Scheduling systems, billing software, and pharmacy management tools may also be affected. Delays in any of these areas have a knock-on effect, slowing the entire hospital workflow.

Financial consequences are severe. According to data from Sophos, the average recovery cost for healthcare organisations is over £1.3 million. This figure excludes regulatory penalties for data breaches, which can be substantial under the UK Data Protection Act and GDPR. Hospitals also face long-term reputational damage, which can erode patient trust and affect funding.

Downtime from ransomware can last days or even weeks. During this period, hospitals must often pay for temporary systems, extra staff hours, and external cybersecurity specialists. Insurance premiums may rise after an incident, adding to the long-term financial burden.

The Ongoing Challenge

Ransomware groups continually adapt their tactics. They target remote access points, exploit software vulnerabilities, and use social engineering to bypass security controls. Hospitals must therefore maintain a constant focus on cybersecurity to keep pace with these threats.

Regular security reviews, staff awareness training, and the adoption of advanced threat detection tools are essential to reducing risk. Without these measures, hospitals remain vulnerable to attacks that can halt operations and put patient lives at risk.

Hospitals must take a proactive approach to reduce ransomware risk. Prevention is more effective and less costly than recovery. These measures form the core of an effective defence strategy against hospital ransomware attacks.

Build a Comprehensive Security Plan

A strong cybersecurity framework is essential for protecting hospital systems and patient data. Frameworks such as the NHS Data Security and Protection Toolkit and the NIST Cybersecurity Framework provide structured approaches for identifying risks, protecting systems, detecting incidents, and recovering quickly.

A key component is network segmentation. This involves dividing the hospital network into smaller zones so ransomware cannot move freely if one area is compromised. For example, keep administrative systems separate from medical device networks. This limits the spread of malware and helps isolate infected systems quickly.

Cybergen offers network security assessments tailored to healthcare environments. These assessments identify weaknesses in network architecture, recommend segmentation strategies, and ensure compliance with NHS and UK data protection requirements.

Train Staff on Phishing Prevention

Phishing is the most common entry point for ransomware. Attackers send emails that appear legitimate but contain malicious links or attachments. Once opened, these can give ransomware a foothold in hospital systems.

Training staff to recognise suspicious messages is critical. Use real-world examples during training sessions, such as emails claiming to be from suppliers or IT support. Reinforce the importance of reporting suspicious emails immediately.

Simulated phishing campaigns test staff readiness and highlight areas needing improvement. Cybergen provides cyber awareness training designed for healthcare workers, helping staff identify phishing attempts before they cause harm.

Apply Strong Access Controls

Hospitals handle sensitive patient data, so limiting who has access is essential. Apply the principle of least privilege, granting staff only the permissions necessary for their role.

Use multi-factor authentication for all administrative accounts to make it harder for attackers to gain access. Review user permissions regularly, especially after staff changes, to ensure no unnecessary access remains.

Monitor login activity for anomalies such as logins from unfamiliar locations or unusual times. This can help detect compromised accounts before ransomware spreads.

Keep Systems Patched

Ransomware often exploits known vulnerabilities in outdated software. Apply security patches promptly to operating systems, hospital applications, and connected medical devices.

Where patching is not possible, such as with legacy medical equipment, place these systems on isolated networks with strict firewall controls. This reduces their exposure to internet-based threats while allowing essential clinical use.

Regular vulnerability scans help identify systems that require updates or special protection measures.

Maintain Secure Backups

Regular backups are vital for recovery after a ransomware attack. Store backups offline or in a secure cloud environment that is disconnected from the hospital’s primary network.

Test backup restoration processes to ensure they work when needed. Hospitals should be able to restore critical systems quickly without paying a ransom.

Cybergen designs secure backup solutions for hospitals, ensuring backup schedules meet operational needs and recovery time objectives.

Monitor for Threats

Continuous monitoring detects suspicious activity before it causes major disruption. Deploy Security Information and Event Management (SIEM) systems to collect and analyse security data from across the hospital network.

Use endpoint detection and response tools to spot early signs of ransomware activity, such as mass file encryption or unusual network traffic.

Having real-time monitoring in place allows rapid containment of threats and reduces the impact on patient care.

Plan and Test Incident Response

Even with strong prevention measures, hospitals must prepare for the possibility of an attack. An incident response plan outlines the steps to take when ransomware is detected.

This plan should define roles and responsibilities, communication channels, and recovery procedures. It should also include guidance for notifying patients, regulators, and law enforcement when required.

Conduct regular drills so that all departments are familiar with their roles. This preparation reduces confusion during an actual incident and speeds up recovery.

Cybergen provides complete hospital ransomware defence. Our services include:

Security audits of hospital IT networks and medical devices
Continuous monitoring to detect ransomware early
Incident response to contain attacks and restore systems
Phishing prevention for healthcare staff
Secure backup planning and testing

Cybergen delivers a comprehensive defence strategy against hospital ransomware attacks, designed specifically for the healthcare sector. We understand that hospitals operate under intense time pressure, where downtime can compromise patient safety. Our approach combines prevention, detection, and rapid response to minimise risk and disruption.

We begin with detailed security audits of hospital IT networks and connected medical devices. These audits identify vulnerabilities in infrastructure, applications, and device configurations. They also assess compliance with the NHS Data Security and Protection Toolkit and other regulatory requirements. Based on the findings, we create a prioritised plan to strengthen your healthcare cybersecurity posture.

Our continuous monitoring service uses advanced detection tools to spot early indicators of ransomware activity. We analyse network traffic, endpoint behaviour, and system logs in real time, enabling fast intervention before malware spreads.

If an attack occurs, our incident response team works alongside your IT staff to contain the threat, remove malicious code, and restore essential systems. This reduces downtime and protects patient data from further exposure. We also help prepare post-incident reports for regulatory bodies, ensuring full compliance.

We provide targeted phishing prevention training for healthcare staff, as phishing remains the leading cause of ransomware infections. This training includes practical exercises, such as simulated phishing campaigns, to build staff confidence in spotting suspicious messages.

Our secure backup planning and testing ensures your hospital has reliable, offline backups that can be restored quickly without paying a ransom. We help design backup schedules, test recovery processes, and integrate backup security into your broader ransomware prevention in hospitals strategy.