1800 Rural American Hospitals Continue to Face Cybercriminal Attacks

Microsoft and Google will offer free or discounted cybersecurity services to rural hospitals in the United States to make them less vulnerable to cyberattacks that disrupt patient care and threaten lives, the White House and Microsoft announced on Monday.

In a statement to CNN, Microsoft said it would provide free security updates for eligible rural hospitals, as well as conduct security assessments and training for hospital staff. Google will offer free cybersecurity consulting for rural hospitals and will launch a pilot program to tailor the company’s cybersecurity services to the needs of these hospitals, National Security Council Cybersecurity Chief Anne Neuberger told reporters on Sunday.

Approximately 1800 rural community hospitals across the country are at greater risk for dangerous ransomware attacks, as they often lack IT security resources and trained personnel in cybersecurity. Furthermore, they can be the only hospitals within miles, meaning a ransomware attack that disrupts the hospital’s ability to accept ambulances could jeopardize patient lives.

The new announcement is the result of private discussions between technology companies and officials from the White House National Security Council, who are increasingly concerned about cybersecurity threats to hospitals. This is an attempt to leverage the wide array of software from Microsoft and Google that is used in hospitals across the United States to help close the security gap in healthcare.

The Biden administration is also preparing to introduce minimum cybersecurity requirements for U.S. hospitals. The details of this proposal still need to be finalized. However, the American Hospital Association, which represents hospitals nationwide, opposes the proposal, stating it would result in penalties for victims of cyberattacks when breaches occur.