A cyberattack is an attempt by hackers to gain illegal access to a computer or computer network for the purpose of causing damage or harm. Hospitals, health care systems, and others in the industry are increasingly concerned about the potential of cyberattacks due to the increase in employees working at home as well as an increased use of health care devices that are connected to hospital records systems.
There are several types of cyberattacks. Malware is malicious software such as spyware, ransomware, viruses and worms. These look for vulnerabilities to breach networks, like if a user clicks on a dangerous link or email attachment that then installs risky software. Once installed, malware can block access to component of the network, render certain components inoperable, or secretly transmit data from the hard drive.
Phishing is the practice of sending fraudulent communications, usually through email, that appear to come from a legitimate source. The goal is to steal data like credit card or login information and install malware on a victim’s machine. Man-in-the-middle attacks are when attackers insert themselves into a two-party transaction to filter and steal data. For more information, see https://www.cisco.com/c/en/us/products/security/common-cyberattacks.html.