What Is Ransomware—and Why Should You Care?

Ransomware is the digital version of a hostage situation—and healthcare practices are prime targets. Hackers break into your system, encrypt your data (like patient records, schedules, and billing info), and demand payment to give it back. You either pay the ransom or risk losing everything.

What makes ransomware so dangerous is how fast it spreads and how hard it hits. One wrong click—just one—and your entire practice can be locked down within minutes. Appointments get canceled, patient care stalls, and the clock starts ticking on both your reputation and your compliance obligations.

These attacks don’t just target big hospitals. In fact, smaller practices are often easier prey because they assume they’re too small to be noticed. Spoiler: they’re not. That’s why layered security, regular backups, and pentesting are no longer optional—they’re essential.