Paubox: 95% of Healthcare Phishing Attacks Go Unreported
Your health data may be more vulnerable than you think—and your healthcare provider might not even know it. A newly released report from Paubox reveals a troubling reality: 95% of phishing attacks in the healthcare sector go completely unreported. No alerts. No investigations. No action.
This widespread lack of reporting highlights a dangerous blind spot in healthcare cybersecurity—one that leaves patient information exposed to cybercriminals, often without any internal response.
“Healthcare doesn’t need more patchwork fixes—it needs a mindset shift,” said Hoala Greevy, CEO of Paubox. “Patients expect secure, convenient communication, and it’s on us to meet that standard.”
The Hidden Threat Lurking in Your Inbox
Email remains the top vector for cyberattacks, and healthcare is one of the most targeted industries. According to the Paubox 2025 Email Security in Healthcare Report, 60% of healthcare organizations experienced at least one email-related security incident in the past year. Yet despite this high rate of incidents, the overwhelming majority of phishing attempts are never reported to security teams.
This is more than an IT issue—it’s a threat to patient safety. When phishing emails go unreported, there’s no investigation. Systems remain unpatched. Staff stay unaware. Patients aren’t warned. In some cases, sensitive personal data may already be in a hacker’s hands—and no one knows.
The Stats No One Wants to Talk About
The Paubox report reveals several key insights:
- 95% of phishing attacks in healthcare go unreported.
- 60% of healthcare IT leaders acknowledged experiencing email-based security breaches in the past year.
- 90% of organizations conduct regular employee training.
So the issue isn’t awareness or ignorance—it’s a broken system that fails to detect and escalate threats effectively.
“The weakest security link in any organization is the human element,” said Amy Larson DeCarlo, Principal Analyst at GlobalData. “End users are often tricked by messages that appear to simplify their tasks or offer incentives. That’s where attackers gain their foothold.”
More Than Missed Emails—Missed Lives
The consequences of unreported phishing attacks can be severe. Matt Murren, CEO of True North ITG, recounted a real-world example where a phishing email compromised credentials and led to a ransomware attack. The breach crippled their systems for two weeks, delaying appointments, cutting off access to test results, and even rerouting urgent care cases.
“This wasn’t just an IT failure—it became a patient care crisis,” Murren said.
Trust was lost. Care was delayed. And all because a single phishing email slipped through the cracks and went unreported.
Experts Call for a Modernized Approach
Cybersecurity professionals stress that healthcare organizations need to evolve their systems, starting with email infrastructure. David Chou, Founder of Chou Group Healthcare Technology Advisory Services, advises a shift toward cloud-hosted email systems and consistent education around phishing and social engineering.
“Phishing and social engineering remain the most effective entry points for attackers. Email systems need to be modern, and staff must be constantly trained to recognize evolving threats,” Chou said.
But even with training, the industry lacks a unified system to report and respond to phishing attempts in real time. That’s where automation and AI-powered solutions come in.
A Call to Action from Paubox
Paubox believes the solution starts with prevention, not reaction. Their latest offering, ExecProtect+, is designed to stop email threats before they reach inboxes. By using AI, automation, and built-in encryption, ExecProtect+ blocks attacks at the source—helping healthcare providers defend patient data proactively.
“We built ExecProtect+ to eliminate risk before damage occurs,” said Greevy. “This isn’t just about cybersecurity—it’s about safeguarding trust and protecting lives.”
The 2025 Paubox IT Survey Report provides a sobering look at the current state of email security in healthcare, revealing the urgent need for a cultural and technological shift. The data is clear: unreported phishing attacks are a silent epidemic—and unless healthcare systems adopt more proactive measures, patients will continue to be the ones who pay the price.
About Paubox
Paubox is a leading provider of HIPAA-compliant email solutions, trusted by healthcare organizations nationwide to deliver secure, user-friendly communication tools that protect patient data without sacrificing convenience.
