SonicWall: 14 Million Victims of Malware Breaches in U.S. Healthcare Sector

According to the most recent SonicWall Threat Brief, a minimum of 14 million patients in the U.S. have fallen victim to malware breaches in the healthcare sector.

The increasing digitalization of health records and telehealth services further expands the attack surface. The company says 91% of healthcare breaches involve ransomware in 2024 – underscoring the urgent need for improved cybersecurity and strong partnerships with MSPs/MSSPs. The Milpitas, California-based cybersecurity company also determined that 60% of vulnerabilities were leveraged against Microsoft Exchange.

“Understanding the threat landscape is crucial for the healthcare industry to effectively defend against cyberattacks,” said Doug McKee, SonicWall’s executive director of Threat Research. “As ransomware evolves and targets sensitive patient data, organizations must stay informed about emerging threats and vulnerabilities.”

Since disruption of access to patient data or medical systems can have life-threatening consequences, healthcare organizations are more likely to pay ransoms to restore operations quickly. In 2024, ransomware was leveraged in 91% of malware-related data breaches in the healthcare sector, with Lockbit emerging as one of the most notorious ransomware groups targeting this industry.

Channel Impact^®
The findings underscore that healthcare organizations, due to their essential operations and potential for financial gain, remain prime targets for ransomware. Many healthcare organizations operate with limited cybersecurity resources and often rely on outdated technology – making them susceptible to ransomware attacks. Managed Service Providers and Managed Security Service Providers should play a vital role in the healthcare industry by delivering specialized expertise and resources that many organizations lack.