Script-based malware is on the rise and, in 2017, it and other cyberthreats hit the healthcare sector hard. In fact, a recent McAfee Labs Threat Report, found that healthcare organizations were hit the hardest in the second quarter of 2017. For the first time, attacks on the health sector in Q2 surpassed the previous leader, the public sector, thanks to a 67 percent increase in malware.Healthcare accounted for more than 26 percent of the 52 million new cyber incidents in the second quarter of 2017, the McAfee report found. And while the majority of these attacks were because of human error or accidental disclosures, its not likely that the threats will slow anytime soon.Whether physical or digital, data breaches in healthcare highlight the value of the sensitive personal information organizations in the sector possess, Vincent Weafer, vice president for McAfee Labs, said in a press release. They also reinforce the need for stronger corporate security policies that work to ensure the safe handling of that information.Ransomware attacks on hospitals, such as WannaCry and NotPetya, are on the rise, and are threatening the safety and well-being of patients that are affected. Its important to note that even if attackers dont end up obtaining the ransom, the attacks are still causing major damage to healthcare organizations.It has been claimed that these ransomware campaigns were unsuccessful due to the amount of money made, said Raj Samani, chief scientist for McAfee, in the release. However, it is just as likely that the motivation of WannaCry and NotPetya was not to make money but something else. If the motive was disruption then both campaigns were incredibly effective. We now live in a world in which the motive behind ransomware includes more than simply making money. Welcome to the world of pseudo-ransomware.

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