How health-care companies are using AI to beat hackers

In 2017, the world witnessed a cyberattack of hideous proportions. The WannaCry ransomware attack infected hundreds of thousands of computers in more than 150 countries, throwing a wrench in the digital gears of many businesses and bringing several industries to their knees with malicious software designed to block access to files until a "ransom" was paid. One industry that was hit particularly hard was health care, including organizations such as the National Health Service (NHS) in the U.K. and Merck in the U.S. One study found that last year, 78 percent of health-care providers reported a ransomware or malware attack. And perhaps we shouldn't be surprised: Patient records are filled with valuable and private information, and ineffective cybersecurity measures make it far too easy to hold those records hostage. Health care is an easy target for malware.