Microsoft, Google Come to the Aid of Rural Hospitals

Microsoft and Google, in collaboration with the White House and hospital associations, will deliver free or discounted cybersecurity tools, services, training, and assessments to rural U.S. hospitals to bolster defenses amid a sharp rise in healthcare-targeting cyberattacks, particularly ransomware. Microsoft will offer grants, steep discounts, free advanced security suites for eligible hospitals, free assessments and training, and extended Windows 10 security updates, while Google will provide endpoint security guidance, discounted collaboration tools, security support, migration funding, and a pilot for tailored security packages. The effort responds to the growing operational and patient-safety impacts of attacks like those affecting Change Healthcare and Ascension, with rural hospitals highlighted as especially vulnerable due to limited resources.