Cyberattacks on Australia’s healthcare sector are escalating, targeting systems vital to patient care and public health. The increasing frequency and sophistication of these threats highlight the urgent need for stronger cybersecurity measures. Below, we outline the key statistics and trends that reveal the scale of the challenge and its implications for the industry.
Healthcare cyber crime in Australia statistics
Healthcare became the most reported non-government sector for cyber incidents in FY2023–24
This sector reported more incidents than financial services, education, and other critical infrastructure industries, highlighting its vulnerability.
32% of healthcare cyber incidents involved compromised accounts or credentials
Other significant incident types included malware infections (17%) and compromised network infrastructure (12%).
41% of healthcare organisations in Australia experienced a cyber attack in 2023
This marks a significant rise in the targeting of this critical sector.
Healthcare data breach in Australia statistics
102 data breaches were reported by the healthcare sector in Australia between January and June 2024 alone
This represents the highest volume of data breach notifications among all sectors in the reporting period.
67% of healthcare sector breaches were attributed to malicious or criminal attacks in early 2024
This highlights the persistent threat of targeted attacks on healthcare organisations.
Over 90% of data breaches in the healthcare sector involved personally identifiable information (PII)
This underscores the high value of health-related data for cybercriminals.
Healthcare cybersecurity in Australia statistics
71% year-on-year increase in global cyber attacks targeting healthcare organisations
The World Health Organisation highlights these attacks as a serious threat to global health security.
Ransomware constituted 11% of all healthcare cyber security incidents in 2023–24
Healthcare remained a key target for ransomware attacks, although other sectors faced higher proportions.
82% of Australians are worried about unauthorised access to personal health records
A significant portion, 33%, said they were ‘very to extremely worried’ about the security of their health information.
88% of Australians consider health information security when choosing healthcare providers
Of this group, 64% stated it significantly or highly influenced their decision.
Healthcare organisations face compliance costs exceeding $120 million for regulatory standards
Smaller organisations struggle with these requirements, adding to the sector's challenges.
73% of ransomware incidents in the healthcare sector led to operational disruptions in 2024
This includes delays in critical treatments and interruptions in hospital services.
Card-not-present payment fraud targeting healthcare providers rose by 24% in 2023
This type of fraud highlights vulnerabilities in online payment systems across healthcare organisations.
Digital healthcare systems accounted for 45% of cyber incidents in the Australian healthcare sector
These systems were heavily targeted due to reliance on outdated software and insufficient cybersecurity protocols.
Healthcare organisations spent an average of 34 days recovering from ransomware attacks in 2023
This downtime significantly impacts patient care and organisational costs.
