FireEye Labs has reported that the Locky ransomware continues to hit the health care industry hard and has increased in the month of August.

Although the telecommunications, manufacturing, and aerospace/defense industries are also being targeted with Locky ransomware, the health care industry is being attacked with greater frequency and intensity.

The health care industry should be on alert for an increase in phishing schemes, unfamiliar emails, attachments, and links, and employees should be on high alert for any suspicious emails, which is the most common way Locky is introduced into a system. Employee training is key in providing employees with education around ransomware so entities do not become victims of these increased attacks.