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Cybersecurity Thought Leader on Ascension Attack
May 2024 by Andrew Speir, Vice President of Advanced Cyber Solutions, at Core4ce
Ascension, a major US healthcare system that operates 140 hospitals in 19 states, suffered a significant ransomware attack disrupting access to electronic health records and phone systems and, in some cases, caused ambulances to divert.
The attack further showcases the need for improved security postures within hospital systems and highlights the frailty of health infrastructure as it’s exposed to cyberattacks.
Andrew Speir, Vice President of Advanced Cyber Solutions, at Core4ce said:
"High pressure environments and reliance on aging complex systems throughout the healthcare industry create vulnerabilities that cyber attackers readily exploit, while the COVID-19 pandemic and budget constraints have further limited investments in robust cybersecurity measures. This is compounded by inadequate patch management, weak password policies, and insufficient employee training on security best practices. Poor cyber hygiene remains one of the most common root causes of successful attacks. We advise our customers - including hospital systems - to make external validation an essential component of their security due diligence. Enterprise-wide vulnerability assessments result in a prioritized list of remediation tasks focused on immediately strengthening a hospital’s security posture."
For further background, Core4ce designs, stands up, and defends some of the largest high-stakes networks across the federal and commercial landscape, including the largest electronic health record implementation in history for the Defense Health Agency. Andrew is expertly positioned to speak to you about how governments, non-profits, and enterprise organizations can better defend their entire IT environment and reduce the attack surface.
