The Trustee Quarterly Newsletter for Spring 2025 is now available, with cybersecurity protection the main theme.
While all industries are impacted by cyber-attacks, the health care industry stand out. Health care is the most attacked industry, and once those attacks occur the impact grows as it affects quality of patient care, hospital financial viability, and individual patient lives. Helping board better understand the threats, but more importantly prepare for an increase in the number and scale of attacks is essential.
In this edition of the Trustee Quarterly Newsletter, readers will get better insight into on-going attacks and what to look out for in the future.
Attacks are Increasing Health care is the most attacked industry because of the opportunities it presents to cyberattacks. Hackers have access to large numbers of
personal data, which can be sold, held for ransom, or both. When systems are shut down the impact is so significant that health care organizations are highly motivated to end the lockdown quickly.
2024 set a record for the highest number of cyberattacks in the health care industry and the outlook is grim. Experts predict the number and scale of attacks will get worse, particularly as hacks are driven by artificial intelligence.
Learn more about
- Recent examples
- The impact of a cyberattack
- recovery time for healthcare systems after a cyber attack
- preparing for multiple scenarios
- third-party breaches
- why rural hospitals face bigger cybersecurity challenges
- Cyberattack statistics
- What boards can to
- Questions for a Board to consider
SDAHO’s Role:
The South Dakota Association of Healthcare Organizations (SDAHO) understands the critical need to equip our members with the knowledge, tools, and resources to combat ever-evolving cybersecurity threats. As identity-based security becomes increasingly vital, robust identity verification is key to protecting patients data, reducing inefficiencies, and strengthening the overall security posture of healthcare organizations.
However, we recognize that cybersecurity solutions must go beyond identity management. Attacks are growing in sophistication and scale, posing serious threats to patient care and system integrity.
Our Ongoing Commitment
Since 2018, SDAHO has taken a proactive role in identifying and sharing solutions while staying ahead of the latest cybersecurity trends. From the emergence of the Orangeworm attack group, which targeted healthcare sectors across the U.S., Europe, and Asia, to today’s evolving ransomware threats, SDAHO continues to inform and prepare our members. We regularly share cybersecurity insights through partnerships with organizations like the American Hospital Association (AHA). These resources include news, alerts, and best practices for mitigating risk. To view a full list of articles shared over the years, click here.
Upcoming Sessions
July 24, 2025 – Cybersecurity with DSU. Learn more about how Dakota State University is doing to better recognize cybersecurity threats, while providing increased protection for our healthcare systems. Registration coming soon. Watch this space for more info members.sdaho.org/events.
SDAHO’s Rural Health Leaders Conference
June 25–26, 2025 | Fort Pierre, South Dakota
Featured Session: The Cybersecurity Threat Landscape and Its Impact on Health Care
Presented by Scott Gee, American Hospital Association & Ryan Thousand, Dahl Memorial Healthcare. As cyber threats targeting health care systems become more frequent and sophisticated, the risks to patient safety, data integrity, and care delivery are increasing—especially in rural communities. Join us for an in-depth session exploring these evolving threats and the tools and strategies available to help rural health providers protect their operations. This session is just one of many timely topics that will be covered at SDAHO’s Rural Health Leaders Conference. Register here secure your spot.
To take a closer look at the Spring 2025 edition of the Trustee Newsletter, visit trustees.sdaho.org.
