Cyberpocalypse

Pay up or shut down. You choose.

Cybercrime is on the rise and hackers have moved on from targeting individuals to targeting corporations both large and small. In recent memory, many high-profile companies have been the victim of some form of cyberattack.

Healthcare has emerged as a lucrative target for these crimes. Attacks jeopardize the safety of patients and security of caregivers.

This is the story of how one hospital system was held hostage through a ransomware attack. When faced with the decision to lose all access to patient data or pay a ransom, what will the hospital administration decide?

From the onset of the attack, through the decision-making process, to its eventual resolution, there are many lessons to apply about protecting health care in the digital world.

Auteur

Matthew Surburg grew up in southern Indiana. He and his wife have 5 children and live on a small farm in central Indiana. After earning his undergraduate degree from Purdue University, Dr. Surburg attended the Indiana University School of Medicine, graduating in 1999. He completed his residency at Union Hospital in Terre Haute in 2002. He is board certified in Family Practice. Dr. Surburg's experiences in practice have varied widely through the past 19 years, including delivering babies for his first 8 years in practice, occupational health, nursing home directorship, and serving as medical director for a program for at-risk youth. He spent 10 years working at the Physician Champion for Hancock Health's electronic health system, developing a deep interest in medical informatics. Outside of work, he enjoys playing cooperative board games, reading about history, playing trumpet in his church and community, and spending time with his children.