Cybersecurity threats are a rising problem in society, especially for health care organizations. Successful attacks can jeopardize not only patient data but also patient care, leading to cancellations and disruptions in the critical services that hospitals provide. While many hospitals have taken steps to educate, inform and forewarn their employees about cybersecurity attacks, few studies have quantified how susceptible hospital employees are to phishing attacks. A new study led by investigators from Brigham and Women's Hospital addresses these questions through a multicenter study that aggregated data from six health care institutions that ran phishing simulations over the course of seven years. The team reports a high click rate for simulated phishing but also a reduction in click rates with increasing campaigns, suggesting a potential benefit for raising awareness. The team's findings are published in JAMA Network Open.
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