Made in Italy is among the favorite brands of cybercriminals, to the point that in our country fashion companies are affected by cyber attacks more than banks. But even more than maison, is the healthcare sector the most targeted by those who work at the keyboard to steal data. This is supported by Yarix, Var Group's center of expertise for cybersecurity.
According to data provided by the company, in 2016 the interventions of computer forensics - the science that deals with analyzing digital devices in the context of cybercrime investigations - increased by 20% in Italy compared to 2015. The intrusions into companies' IT systems mainly concerned five production sectors:
- fashion (38%)
- banks (22%)
- automotive (18%)
- food&beverage (12%)
- chemical-pharmaceutical (10%)
A separate chapter is what it concerns healthcare. Among cybercriminals, records stolen from healthcare systems are a valuable commodity: in many cases, their value exceeds that of payment card data.
“In 2016 the healthcare sector recorded the largest number of cyber attacks globally – explains Mirko Gatto, founder and CEO of Yarix – If in the first half of 2016 cybercrime grew by 9% compared to the last half of 2015, healthcare in particular suffered the highest percentage increase in attacks (+ 144 %) for the purpose of data theft and extortion. Even in Italy there are now many health facilities victims of ransomware campaigns: this is the name of malicious software that infects computer systems, encrypting data until a ransom is paid".
Also for the healthcare sector, the new frontier of IT risk passes through theInternet of Things (IoT). Thanks to the availability of the latest generation tools, such as smartwatches or smartphones, healthcare professionals have multiplied the possibilities of treatment, even remotely. Equally interesting are the prospects for research, cost optimization and efficiency.
A revolutionary opportunity, which however requires to be managed from a cybersecurity point of view: the possibility that a cybercriminal has access to a patient's device and can turn it off, dispose of the data or even modify it can have very serious consequences. This is the case with pacemakers.
