“Swatting” is a form of criminal harassment in which someone reports a false or nonexistent emergency to law enforcement or other locations to elicit a police or SWAT (Special Weapons and Tactics) team response. In the health care arena, these incidents can trigger lockdowns, diversion (sending patients to other hospitals), evacuations or other major disruptions in hospital business. Additionally, potential patients who hear about a SWAT response at a hospital may be more nervous about their safety at that facility and choose to go elsewhere, potentially causing the hospital to lose business.
Deeper dive
Swatting incidents are on the rise in hospitals, with cases increasing from about 400 in 2011 to over 1,000 in 2019, according to a report from the International Association for Healthcare Security and Safety (IAHSS) Foundation. Hospitals are vulnerable due to their 24/7 operations and high-stakes, high-stress environments, according to an article in Healthcare Facilities Today. Each incident can cost taxpayers $10,000.
Related: Swatting poses a growing threat to hospitals
New communication technologies and social media platforms have made incidents more prevalent and enabled their rapid dissemination on the internet, with the potential to inspire copycats. Swatting calls are often made over the phone using ID spoofing or other techniques to hide the caller’s identity, or through social media, an article in Becker’s Hospital Review noted.
The Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) and IAHSS Foundation offered some potential solutions, such as implementing technology to verify caller identity and training staff on how to handle swatting incidents and identify characteristics of false reports.