Ransomware attacks are examples of cybercrime activities whereby malicious software is incorporated into the systems of a certain organization to cause the system to malfunction and ask for money in exchange of restoring the system (Gareth, 2016). The issue of ransomware attacks is affecting many healthcare organizations at the moment with hospitals being demanded to pay a ransom at the expense of their patients’ records and other related files (Murphy, 2015). Ransomware attacks have skyrocketed in the recent past and today. The hospital systems, even after paying the ransom as demanded, are becoming seemingly difficult for the hospital to understand and use them again. Some of the factors leading to the rise in ransom ware attacks include: the nature of the work done at the hospital.

Since hospitals carry out delicate work and have systems that guide them to do the right thing at the right time on the patients, for example, giving them medicine, keeping their updated information and to schedule their surgery when necessary (Murphy, 2015). Since the attackers know that hospitals have such delicate roles, it becomes easier and quicker for them to attack a hospital and demand for ransom since the probability of it being paid by the hospital is high. The other factor determining the rate of ransom ware attacks is business profitability. Most hospitals are known to reap profits after profits. This is expected to be very jubilant news, however, it turns out that sometimes reaping big may not be a bed of roses. Attackers prefer to attack a profit-making business and since the latter wants good reputation and a smooth flow of its businesses, the demanded amount is paid to the attackers as soon as possible to release the systems (Sittig & Singh, 2016).

Lack of complexity in the system makes it vulnerable to ransomware crime (Murphy, 2015). Complexity in this case means that a system has detectors for malicious software and alerts the hospital. Lack of this complexity will make a hospital’s software be easily tampered with. This is one of the factors that the cybercrime attackers consider before holding a healthcare system hostage and consequently demanding a ransom be paid for the release of the same. Those are the factors that determine the rise of ransomware attacks on healthcare. Solutions have been sought to deal with the ransom ware menace. Hospitals have some ways on how to protect themselves from this extortionate form of cybercrime. The following are some of the ways: once the system of a hospital is affected by a virus, all connections be it data , Bluetooth or USB cable connections, need to be cut off to prevent the spread of the virus to the whole hospital computers (Murphy, 2015).

Hospitals need to have a backup of their information so as to restore files held hostage in case of an attack. This will ensure smooth flowing of the hospital operations despite the intended blow to the hospital (Murphy, 2015). Hospitals need to engage experts in software operations to install detectors and automatic deletion or blockage of malicious software to prevent systems from installing ransom ware installation and being held hostage. This will enhance smooth running of the scheduled operations at a hospital. Employees in a healthcare organization need to have security awareness made to them to avoid clicking on suspicious links sent by as that is how the ransom ware spreads (Sittig & Singh, 2016).

Each healthcare organization needs to be on the lookout for this malicious engagement that may lead to their files being held hostage and indulging in losses in an attempt to recover their systems. Paying for healthcare data that has been held ransom is a must for an organization that wants to continue with their progress smoothly. It is not right even for the organization to pay the demanded amount, but it has to be paid for all to be well. However, it is also not right to pay the demanded amount because it is not justified for the organization to lose money to people who demanded it by investing in malicious software.