AHA cybersecurity lead discusses threat of cyberattacks leaving hospitals, health care systems vulnerable

In a recent Fox Business Network interview, John Riggi, AHA’s senior advisor for cybersecurity and risk offered solutions to help prevent cyberattacks against hospitals and health systems, including investment in new technology and educating the workforce. Riggi also called on the federal government to aid in these defenses.
 
“We at the AHA have urged the government to embark on a coordinated campaign to use all diplomatic, financial, law enforcement, intelligence and military cyber capabilities to disrupt these criminal organizations [and] seize their illegal proceeds, as it so effectively did in the global fight against terrorism,” Riggi said.
 
The FBI and Department of Justice have raised ransomware attacks to the same priority level as terrorist attacks. 
 
“We have good reason to believe that our persistent advocacy and expert point of view on this issue helped influence this policy change,” Riggi said. “We are hopeful that the Biden administration will take additional actions to stem the increasing cyberattacks against health care and all of critical infrastructure.”