The White House has partnered with Microsoft and Google to offer free cybersecurity services to approximately 2,000 critical access hospitals in rural areas.
“Healthcare should be available no matter where you call home, and the rise in cyberattacks threatens the viability of rural hospitals and impact communities across the U.S.” Justin Spelhaug, corporate vice president of Microsoft Philanthropies, wrote in a statement. “Microsoft is committed to delivering vital technology security and support at a time when these rural hospitals need them most.”
A healthcare facility is considered critical access if it is more than 35 miles from a comparable facility. Funds secured by the White House through private sector partners include grants for up to a 75% discount on Microsoft security products designed for smaller enterprises, FedTech reports. Eligible rural hospitals will also have access to free cyber assessments and training from security providers.
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Critical access hospitals already using Microsoft solutions will also receive the provider’s advanced security suite free for one year, and those that use Windows 10 for a year will receive a free security update extension.
Additionally, Google is offering rural hospitals and nonprofits free endpoint security advice and discounts on communication and collaboration tools and security support. The company plans to launch a suite of security solutions designed specifically for rural hospitals.
“We are investing in these organizations by providing tools, services, capabilities and partnership so they can stay focused on their patients,” said Taylor Lehmann, director of the CISO’s office at Google Cloud. “These make their systems more secure, resilient, easy to manage and use. We’re committed to using the resources we have to drive a measurable reduction in risk at vulnerable organizations working with us.”
Rural Hospitals Common Targets for Cyber Attacks
Ransomware attacks on the U.S. healthcare industry increased from 214 in 2022 to 389 in 2023. According to the National Rural Health Association, rural health clinics, which serve more than 60 million patients across the U.S., are one of the top targets for cybercriminals.
The CSC 2.0, the successor to the Cyberspace Solarium Commission, published a 20-page report in June that noted smaller, rural facilities often lack the resources needed for certain security products or full-time or contracted cybersecurity support.
The group recommends the Department of Health and Human Services establish a rural hospital cybersecurity workforce development strategy that considers solutions such as facilities sharing cybersecurity staff.
