cyber security attack is one of the most serious safety hazards facing hospitals today, according to Report Safety and quality group ECRI released Tuesday.

“The question is not whether a particular facility will be attacked, but when,” the ECRI report said. “Such incidents not only disrupt business operations, they disrupt patient care and pose a real threat of personal injury.”

Cyberattacks could have devastating short-term consequences for hospitals, the ECRI report said. Hospital units or even entire health systems could be shut down, surgeries could be rescheduled, emergency medical vehicles could be diverted, and connected medical devices could stop working, the ECRI report said. The organization recommends that the system develop a plan to maintain patient care and create a robust safety program during a cybersecurity attack.

“The safe use of health technologies—from simple devices to complex information systems—requires identifying sources of potential danger or difficulty with these technologies and taking steps to minimize the likelihood of adverse events,” the ECRI report said.

ECRI ranked the top 10 technology hazards for 2022 using a number of criteria, such as the frequency of incidents, their severity, and the likelihood of failure to lead to patient safety.