Locked Out of the Exam Room

It’s a routine Saturday morning at your veterinary clinic. The hum of activity begins as technicians prep exam rooms. The familiar chorus of barking dogs echoes from the back. Cats stir in their cozy front-room quarters, blinking at the sunlight. It’s just another day dedicated to treating patients, reassuring pet owners and putting everyone’s veterinary expertise into action.

You log into a laptop to check the day’s schedule and review the first patient’s file. You expect to see a familiar dashboard, but instead, your screen flashes this message: “Your files have been encrypted. You will need to contact us and pay $80,000 in Bitcoin to restore access.”

The patient records are gone. The schedule is inaccessible. Your clinic’s digital heartbeat has flatlined.

It’s not a glitch. It’s ransomware.

The Quiet Risk Facing the Veterinary Industry

This kind of digital hostage-taking isn’t theoretical; it’s happening in veterinary clinics nationwide. Ransomware has become a thriving business for cybercriminals. Tech-reliant but underprotected practices are increasingly at risk.

Ransomware is a malicious software that encrypts files, locking them so that they become inaccessible, and rendering the programs that rely on those files unusable. For clinics, the digital invasion can mean losing access to scheduling systems, medical records, diagnostic tools and billing platforms.

These cybercriminals typically demand payment, often in cryptocurrency, in exchange for a decryption key that may or may not restore functionality. Their goal is simple: Hold critical data hostage and pressure victims into paying to regain access.

Ransomware attackers typically use these two tactics to pressure victims into paying:

• Threatening to disclose sensitive data publicly.
• Locking access to critical systems and files, effectively halting operations and disrupting patient care.

For clinics, the cybercriminal’s demands mean risking not only client trust but also compromising animal health and disrupting the continuity of care and business operations. While some laws and regulations require clinics to safeguard both client and patient data, I will focus on ransomware through a business continuity lens to help you prevent disruptions and respond effectively if an attack occurs.

How It Begins: What Exposes the Clinic to Attack

Ransomware often arrives through phishing emails, compromised passwords, deceptive websites or outdated software. Once inside, ransomware secretly encrypts a victim’s files and demands payment.

Veterinary clinics are easy targets because they rely heavily on digital systems but often lack dedicated IT teams or sophisticated information security protections. From appointment scheduling and billing to medical records and diagnostics, everything is digital. That makes clinics vulnerable — and valuable — to attackers.

How It Ends: The Real Cost of an Attack

Let’s imagine another scenario. The ransomware infection begins when a team member, browsing the internet during a lunch break, clicks on what appears to be a harmless website. Unbeknownst to her, a drive-by download occurs, a type of attack where simply visiting a compromised site triggers the automatic installation of malware. That night, the ransomware activates and begins encrypting the clinic’s files.

Here’s what happens next:

• Services are limited: The team loses access to patient histories, diagnostic results and the appointment schedule. Imaging systems like X-ray machines are offline. The clinic must reroute emergency cases and postpone routine care.
• Client trust erodes: Pet owners are frustrated. Animal health, and in some cases, lives are at stake. Some clients take their business elsewhere, while others voice their concerns publicly through negative online reviews.
• The financial fallout unfolds: Besides the ransom demand, the clinic faces recovery costs, including IT support and legal fees, and lost revenue.
• Legal exposure escalates: Depending on the state, the clinic might be legally obligated to notify clients and regulators after a ransomware incident. The data breach may attract attention from opportunistic attorneys seeking to file lawsuits on behalf of affected clients. Further, if pet health data is protected under state-specific regulations, noncompliance can lead to fines or other penalties.

Prevention on a Budget

While working with cybersecurity professionals is ideal, clinics can take meaningful steps today to protect their computer systems without breaking the budget. Here are six low-cost, high-impact strategies any practice can implement:

• Establish an incident response plan: Every veterinary practice should maintain clear, written policies and procedures to guide its response in the event of a cyberattack. The plan should include straightforward instructions on who to contact, such as cyber insurance providers, legal counsel and forensic investigators. Importantly, keep hard copies on hand. If an attacker encrypts your systems, digital versions might be inaccessible.
• Train your staff: Team members are the first line of defense. Most ransomware enters through phishing emails, so training employees to recognize suspicious messages, avoid risky clicks and report anomalies is essential. The Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency offers free resources through its Stop Ransomware initiative. Learn more at cisa.gov.
• Back up your data: Set up regular, automated backups, and ensure they are encrypted and stored separately from your primary systems. Test the backups regularly to confirm they are functional and up to date. In 2024, an Oregon veterinary hospital recovered quickly from a ransomware attack because it maintained secure, off-network backups of patient data. By keeping critical information beyond the reach of the ransomware, the hospital minimized downtime and avoided paying a ransom. Backups alone won’t prevent an attack, but they can be the difference between a temporary disruption and a full-blown crisis.
• Update your software: Outdated computer systems are prime targets for attackers. Fortunately, with just a few clicks, you can enable automatic updates for your operating system, antivirus software and practice management platforms, ensuring that vulnerabilities are patched as soon as fixes become available.
• Use strong passwords and multifactor authentication: Require complex passwords and enable multifactor authentication on all accounts, especially those with access to sensitive data. This move can significantly reduce the risk of unauthorized access.
• Vet your IT provider: If your clinic relies on a managed service provider, ask the vendor tough questions. Does it offer 24/7 monitoring? What is its incident response protocol? How does it handle encryption and data recovery? Don’t assume. Instead, ask for documentation and proof of the company’s cybersecurity practices.

How to Respond to a Ransomware Attack

If your practice falls victim to ransomware, an immediate response is essential. The following steps outline a basic action plan grounded in cybersecurity best practices:

• Isolate the infection: Disconnect affected systems from the network to prevent the ransomware from spreading. Avoid using email or internal messaging platforms to communicate about the incident. An attacker with access might be monitoring those channels.
• Engage your cyber insurer: If your practice has cyber insurance, notify the carrier right away. Most policies include access to breach counsel, forensic investigators and professional negotiators who can guide the response and recovery process.
• Notify your IT professionals and legal teams: Contact your managed service provider or IT support to begin containment and investigation. Simultaneously, notify legal counsel to assess your legal and regulatory obligations.
• Evaluate the ransom demand: Deciding whether to pay a ransom is complex and risky. Even if you make a payment, there’s no guarantee your data will be restored. Clinics should refrain from engaging with cybercriminals. Consult legal experts rather than make a rash decision.
• Review and reinforce: After resolving the immediate crisis, conduct a post-incident review. Identify what went wrong, update your security policies, retrain employees and strengthen your defenses.

Cybersecurity is not optional. Veterinary clinics don’t need massive budgets to build resilience. With the proper training, planning and safeguards, even small practices can defend against big threats.

36 TIMES A DAY

According to cyberattack expert ThreatDown, February 2025 saw over 1,000 ransomware attacks globally, making it the worst month on record.

A BUDGET-FRIENDLY CYBERSECURITY CHECKLIST 

• Incident response plan: Create an easily accessible hard-copy version. Include contact information for legal, insurance and IT support.
• Staff training: Use the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency’s free resources to teach awareness and response protocols.
• Data backups: Ensure they are automated, encrypted and kept in a separate location.
• Software updates: Enable automatic updates for operating systems, antivirus tools and practice management platforms.
• Passwords and multifactor authentication: Require both on all accounts.
• Vet your IT expert: Ask your managed service provider about 24/7 monitoring, incident response and encryption standards.