recent large-scale ransomware attacks targeting the healthcare sector, the vulnerabilities within the industry are starkly evident. Malicious actors have exploited compromised credentials – a clear and present danger when healthcare providers’ reliance on remote access software creates avenues for adversaries to disguise themselves as legitimate users and gain unauthorised access to critical environments.
Implementing a ruthless privileged access model and engaging competent managed security providers with razor-like precision in removing adversaries’ access are critical steps in mitigating these risks. Sharing knowledge and lessons learned from past breaches is also vital for proactive threat anticipation and containment.
Proactive measures, collaboration and investments in cybersecurity are imperative to safeguard South Africa’s healthcare sector against cyber threats. Patient data safety is non-negotiable – direct damage to involved parties is potentially huge, and indirect reputational damage is almost impossible to restore once the genie is out of the bottle.is a leading African integrator of ICT solutions and part of NEC, a Japanese global company.