Cyberattacks on health systems: a growing 'life and death issue,' WHO chief

WHO Director-General Tedros warned that ransomware and cyberattacks on hospitals go beyond “issues of security and confidentiality” and “can be issues of life and death.”

Briefing the Security Council in New York City on Friday on the rising threat of ransomware attacks on healthcare facilities worldwide, Tedros highlighted data from a 2021 global survey, revealing that over a third of healthcare respondents had faced ransomware attacks, and among them, nearly a third could not recover their data even after paying a ransom.

Ahead of the Security Council session, a coalition of member states addressed the press, highlighting that the General Assembly has consistently endorsed the UN framework on responsible state behavior in cyberspace. This framework asserts the applicability of international law in cyberspace, expecting states to adhere to voluntary norms of conduct during peacetime.