I N D U S T R Y I N V E S T I G A T I O N
The mobile user is particularly sensitive to phishing threats . Phishing has long been one of the top vectors for attack and organisations have trained their staff to spot these messages in the inbox . On the mobile screen , the telltale signs of a phishing message are not as clear .
Not only is the screen smaller , obscuring those signs , but fewer people are aware of the fact that a WhatsApp message or SMS can just as easily hide a malicious link or that a QR code could conceal something just as dangerous . People are generally more likely to click on a phishing link sent to a mobile device than to a desktop . In fact , the Zimperium 2023 Global Mobile threat Report found that people were anywhere between six to 10 times as likely to fall for an SMS phishing attack as they were for an email .
That ’ s just one potential attack vector but one that will threaten healthcare organisations in profound ways . Mobile phishing is now being used to compromise healthcare networks , steal information , deploy malware and otherwise paralyse organisations on which human health depends . From that point of view , these kinds of threats have to be viewed as more than threats to data , but threats to patients too . In 2024 , The University of Minnesota Medical School released research examining hospital operations after a ransomware attack . The report ’ s authors found that after such an attack , patient mortality could increase by anywhere between 17 – 26 %. While a ransomware attack can ’ t directly harm a patient , the administrative paralysis degrades hospital operations and ultimately leads to lethal outcomes .
Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus , Director- General of the World Health Organization ( WHO ) told the UN security council in late 2024 : “ Cyberattacks on hospitals and other health facilities are not just issues of security and confidentiality ; they can be issues of life and death .”
From that point of view , a mobile breach could pose serious risks to the operation of a healthcare organisation , paralysing administration and literally endangering patient health . If the sector wants to enjoy the rewards of mobile device use , they ’ ll have to control the risks too . �
Kern Smith , VP of Global Solutions at Zimperium
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