What would happen if your hospital network went dark today?
At Kettering Health in Ohio, they didn’t have to imagine.
In May 2025, a ransomware attack brought their entire system to its knees:
- 14 hospitals disrupted
- 120+ outpatient centers affected
- Cancer treatments delayed
- Emergency rooms operating without patient records
- 941 GB of sensitive data published on the dark web
It was a stark reminder that healthcare organizations are now prime targets—and the stakes are higher than ever.
Why Healthcare Is the #1 Target for Ransomware
Cybercriminals target healthcare because they know:
- Downtime puts patient lives at risk
- Trust is hard to rebuild after a breach
- Healthcare is more likely to pay ransom to restore operations
Ransomware groups like Interlock use double extortion—encrypt systems and steal sensitive data, threatening to release it publicly if their demands aren’t met.
The Kettering Health attack exposed deep vulnerabilities that exist in many healthcare IT environments today.
3 Cybersecurity Essentials for Healthcare Leaders
-
Proactive Defense
Most healthcare attacks start with phishing and social engineering.
You must ensure your organization has:
- 24/7 threat monitoring
- Staff awareness and phishing training
- Segmented networks that contain threats
-
Resilient Backup & Rapid Recovery
It’s not enough to have backups—you need to recover fast enough to maintain patient care.
- Immutable, secure backups
- Regularly tested disaster recovery plans
- Clear clinical continuity plans when digital systems are down
-
Compliance & Risk Management
HIPAA fines and reputational damage after a breach can cripple your organization.
- Comprehensive risk assessments
- Incident response playbooks
- Documented security and compliance measures
Final Thought
The Kettering Health ransomware attack was not an isolated event—it was a warning shot to the entire healthcare industry.
If your organization doesn’t have a modern, resilient cybersecurity strategy, your patients, your data, and your reputation are all at risk.
Now is the time to act—not after an attack hits.
Schedule a cybersecurity strategy call with our team today. We’ll help you assess your current posture and map out next steps to better protect your organization.
