The head of the World Health Organization (WHO) warned that the alarming increase in ransomware attacks is placing global healthcare infrastructure at significant risk, compromising patient safety and threatening the stability of health systems.
The United Nations Security Council was convened on 8 November, following a call by France, Japan, Malta, the Republic of Korea, Slovenia, the UK, and the US.
The council discussed strategies to counter the rising threat.
WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said: “Ransomware and other cyberattacks on hospitals and other health facilities are not just issues of security and confidentiality, they can be issues of life and death.
“At best, these attacks cause disruption and financial loss. At worst, they undermine trust in the health systems on which people depend, and even cause patient harm and death.”
The impact of cyberattacks extends beyond hospitals, affecting the broader biomedical supply chain.
Vulnerabilities were notably exposed during the pandemic in vaccine manufacturing, clinical trial software, and laboratories.
Even when ransoms are paid, there is no guarantee that access to encrypted data will be restored.
WHO and other UN bodies are actively supporting nations by providing technical assistance, norms, and guidelines.
In January this year, WHO collaborated with Interpol and the UN Office on Drugs and Crime to publish two reports aimed at strengthening cybersecurity and countering disinformation.
New guidance on cybersecurity and digital privacy is expected from WHO next year.
Ghebreyesus urged countries to invest in advanced technologies for detecting and mitigating cyberattacks and to train staff to respond effectively to such incidents.
The WHO Director-General also called for international cooperation, 'urging the Security Council to use its mandate' to bolster global cybersecurity and ensure accountability.
US National Security Policy on Cyber and Emerging Technologies coordinator Anne Neuberger stated that the international community can collectively eradicate the scourge by acting together.
She suggested abiding by a set of shared principles, refusing to pay criminal gangs and helping each other apprehend cyber criminals.
France's alternative representative and ambassador Jay Dharmadhikari said: “Meetings such as the one we are having today, enable the [Security] Council to keep abreast of the changing cyber threat landscape.”
