Ransomware, widely considered to be the fastest-growing malware hazard of the 21st century, continues to threaten the uptime, profits and brand reputation of the healthcare industry.

In planning defensive strategies, IT security professionals must recognize that the cost of a ransomware attack goes far beyond the extortion payment.

On June 27, 2018, Australian web and IT services provider Cyanweb Solutions experienced a data terrorist attack: the stuff of business nightmares. A coordinated attack against the Perth-based company deleted all but 12 percent of the client data stored on its cPanel administrative server. As a company that not only designs websites but acts as an in-house IT department and online marketing advisor to its business customers, the attack’s speed and sophistication is a reminder that even the savviest technology companies are at risk. Thankfully, you have more control over your information than you realize.

IT security professionals often cringe in amusement when cybercrime-themed novels appear on bestseller lists, like “The President is Missing” by former US President Bill Clinton and fiction author James Patterson. Its plot centers on a “devastating stealth wiper virus” called Dark Ages, likely a nod to recent real-world ransomware outbreaks. But this is entertainment, not a serious work of scholarship. If you are worrying about a cyberattack that can only be stopped by a superhero, you hopefully are reclined and sipping a piña colada, not thinking about actual IT security strategy.