Cyberattacks on Hospitals Are Attacks on Communities: Why Ransomware Is a Patient Safety Crisis
In this episode of Building Cyber Resilience: A Healthcare Leader’s Guide, host Josh Howell speaks with John Riggi, National Advisor for Cybersecurity and Risk at the American Hospital Association. Drawing on nearly 30 years at the FBI and his current work advising more than 5,000 hospitals, Riggi explains why ransomware attacks on healthcare should be treated as threat-to-life events. He breaks down the real-world consequences of cyberattacks, from ambulance diversion to delayed cancer care, and outlines what leaders must do now to prepare for outages that last weeks, not hours.
🎧 You’ll learn:
Why ransomware attacks on hospitals should be treated as threat-to-life events
How cyberattacks create cascading regional impacts through ambulance diversion
Why cyber risk is a patient safety and community safety issue, not just IT
How to plan for weeks-long outages instead of short disruptions
Why secure, offline backups are critical and frequently targeted
When and why to engage the FBI and federal agencies during an attack
How information sharing protects other hospitals and communities
Why clinical continuity planning must replace IT-only recovery thinking
How staff fatigue and burnout become patient safety risks during incidents
YouTube Chapters:
[00:00] Welcome and Introduction to John Riggi’s Role
[01:49] Cyber Risk Becomes a Patient Safety Issue
[04:50] The Ransomware Blast Radius and Regional Impact
[06:30] Using Existing Emergency Plans for Cyber Response
[08:57] Why Information Sharing Breaks Down After Attacks
[10:41] Legal Risk, Liability, and the Sharing Paradox
[15:07] Why Leaders Should Call the FBI Immediately
[17:41] Why Ransomware Targets Backups First
[19:57] The Reality Behind “Immutable” Backup Claims
[22:29] Business Continuity vs Clinical Continuity
[25:46] Staff Fatigue, Relief Shifts, and Long Recoveries
[29:24] Final Takeaways and Where to Learn More
👉 You can explore the resilience framework discussed in this episode and access the supporting asset here: https://www.rubrik.com/lp/white-papers/building-cyber-resilience-a-healthcare-leaders-guide
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