Cyberattacks have surged 30%, exposing terabytes of sensitive biological data


 South Africa is facing a rapidly escalating cybersecurity crisis in its healthcare sector as evidenced by a massive ransomware attack on the National Health Laboratory Service. Legal experts report that cyberattacks on African healthcare institutions have surged by thirty percent in just one year with attackers increasingly targeting sensitive biological data. The recent breach exposed over one terabyte of private information highlighting the devastating potential of these intrusions. While privacy laws exist enforcement remains weak and many institutions lack the governance frameworks to protect patient data effectively. Security analysts warn that as the continent rushes to adopt artificial intelligence in healthcare the attack surface will only grow. There is an urgent need for stricter regulatory oversight and robust ethical frameworks to ensure that the drive for digital innovation does not come at the cost of patient privacy and safety.

Read the original article at: https://iafrica.com/ai-in-sa-healthcare-data-privacy-lags-behind-as-cyber-threats-surge/

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