Healthcare’s 2019 Top Cybersecurity Threats and What to Do About Them
By: Larry Whiteside
Although predictions of growing cybersecurity threats continue to raise alarms in the healthcare sector, there are clear, proactive steps organizations can take to protect themselves.
Enormous amounts of patient information and financial data make the healthcare industry a prime target for cybersecurity threats. Hackers and other malicious organizations seek out everything from individual medical records, billing details, and log-in credentials to clinical trial and research information through systems, servers, or apps.
Today, patient portals, internet of things (IoT) devices, electronic health records, and other connected systems are in greater use than ever. They provide lucrative, often easy-to-access new channels through which to launch threats. Healthcare providers are the main victims.
Who is targeted and how much does it cost?
The 2019 Breach Barometer noted that healthcare providers accounted for 70% of all entities reporting cyberattacks. Health plans followed at 12% and other healthcare-related entities were next at 8%.
But it doesn’t stop there. Even business associates of HIPAA-covered groups were targeted, potentially as a means of…
