Cyber ​​attacks target local hospitals across MD

MARYLAND – The state of Maryland has been under fire all year for cyberattacks that have stolen data from more than 1,000 medical practices across the state.

It started when Change Healthcare Provider was attacked with ransomware, which opened the doors to many other institutions, including John Hopkins.

According to Robert Bromfield of Local Menocal Family Practice, the group uses security risk assessments in all its offices to prevent data breaches. “That means we analyze the climate in which these cyberattacks are taking place and where we can strengthen our cybersecurity insurance,” Bromfield said.

With the number of cyberattacks increasing, Billy Roca, account manager at Impact Technology Group, a local group with expertise in support systems and computer hacks, says you don’t know when a threat is present.

“You could have been there for a day, a week or a year, it depends on the threat actor and how they want to carry out their intrusion and how they want to get your data,” Roca said

After the ransomware attack on Menocal Family Practice, Bromfield said the company had to put safety nets in place to counteract ongoing cybersecurity pressures. “Security is important just because of the sensitivity of our information, but these measures, this two-factor authentication and the encryption of our emails, have been reinforced even further,” Bromfield said.

Cybersecurity is everywhere, especially given the increase in computer usage over the past decade, and Roca said it’s important for companies to invest as much as possible in it to prevent a threat.

“Make sure you have multiple layers of protection, not just one or two software programs, but at least have backups of your data. That way, if your environment is compromised, you have backups to fall back on,” Roca said.