US hospitals must meet security standards to receive federal funding

TLDR: US hospitals will be required to meet basic cybersecurity standards before receiving federal funding, according to proposed rules expected from the White House in the coming weeks. The rules are a response to the increasing number of ransomware attacks targeting hospitals and health clinics. At least 46 US hospital corporations were hit by ransomware infections last year, with data from 32 of these networks being stolen. The proposed rules will focus on key cybersecurity practices that have a meaningful impact on protecting hospitals’ networks. However, there is debate about whether cutting off funding is the most effective way to improve hospitals’ security posture.