An alarming surge in ransomware attacks is putting the world’s healthcare infrastructure at critical risk, endangering patient safety and destabilising health systems, the head of the UN World Health Organization (WHO) warned on Friday, as the Security Council convened to discuss strategies to counter the growing threat.
According to a 2021 global survey, more than one-third of responding health institutions reported at least one ransomware attack in the preceding year, and a third among them reported paying a ransom.
Ransomware attacks are a form of cyberattacks, in which a malicious actor “takes over” or “locks” files on a single computer or an entire network, demanding payment in return for access.
