Healthcare Cybersecurity: Reducing the Risk of Data Breaches
By: Jori Hamilton
The majority of healthcare data breaches in 2019 have been traced to third-party vendors and phishing attacks. Here’s what needs to be done to reduce risk.
2019 has a bad year for healthcare security breaches. Over 30 million patients in the U.S. have been affected by data breaches so far this year. The majority of attacks have been traced back to third-party vendors and phishing attacks.
Furthermore, the industry at large is still dragging its heels on adopting the Health Insurance and Portability Accountability (HIPAA) compliance regulations and updating technology to combat the latest threats.
Cisco’s 2019 report regarding technology use in the healthcare industry revealed that over 50% of organizations still operate on legacy Windows 7 systems and outdated IoT equipment.
If healthcare providers do not take appropriate measures to safeguard patient information, the number of hacks will continue to climb. Healthcare administrators need to focus on technology upgrades, staff training, network access limitations, and greater accountability with third-party vendors.
