Security News > 2024 > January > Ransomware’s Impact Could Include Heart Attacks, Strokes & PTSD

The increasing convergence of IT and OT leave physical infrastructures more vulnerable to ransomware, even though most ransomware operators lack the capability to directly compromise OT or Industrial Control Systems; one example is when ransomware's impact on IT prevents other systems from working properly.

Staff might experience physical harm as a result of ransomware attacks; possible effects are weight changes, sleep deprivation, mental exhaustion, physical burnouts, heart attacks or stroke.

For starters, ransomware attacks on outsourced IT sources might be harmful; cloud service providers might be attacked, and their customers might end up with their own data being lost.

As stated by the RUSI in the report, "There is a real human impact to ransomware attacks that is yet to be fully grasped and measured."

Ransomware attacks and their impacts are well understood from a technical point of view, yet it is difficult to estimate the costs to recover from those attacks and even more difficult to estimate all the impact they have on nations, organizations, staff and individuals.

The psychological impact of ransomware attacks in particular is largely overlooked and should be taken into much more consideration.

News URL

https://www.techrepublic.com/article/ransomware-attacks-impact-harm-organizations/