Cybercriminals flock to healthcare businesses as attacks surge

In February, a ransomware attack against the University of Mississippi Medical Center disrupted operations for more than two weeks. In March, a cyberattack on German medical-billing provider Unimed, which services 95% of the nation’s university hospitals and more than half of large clinics, resulted in the theft of sensitive health data for tens of thousands of patients.

In the first half of 2026, cyberattacks on the healthcare sector jumped 14%, slightly more than the overall increase of 11% across all industries, according to data from technology research firm Comparitech. While healthcare providers — such as hospitals and doctors’ offices — saw a moderate rise in attacks, healthcare businesses suffered a significant increase of 35% compared with the second half of 2025 and 110% compared with the same six months from the previous year.

Much of the shift in focus is likely because attackers have recognized that compromising a single provider can provide access to multiple hospitals, says Rebecca Moody, head of data research at Comparitech.

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