By Troy Young, AdvancedMD Inc. Courtesy of Health IT Outcomes
The industry is struggling to manage the security limitations of existing systems amid a recent proliferation of sophisticated attack threats that include malware, ransomware and phishing. The risks are further complicated by growing trends of remote access, mobile device use, and connected Internet of Things (IoT) devices. Unfortunately, much of the breach susceptibility—and data theft at large—is traceable to human error or misuse inside an organization. Of 1,138 breach incidents between 2009 and 2017, 53 percent originated internally.2When it comes to cybersecurity, healthcare providers are late to the game: the industry claimed a quarter of over 750 cybersecurity incidents globally in 2018.1 In the U.S. alone, health firms—and millions of patients—were impacted by 365 data breaches last year, up from 358 in 2017.1
Providers should prioritize the safety of patient health information (PHI) and remain diligent about HIPAA security and privacy regulations, particularly if they want to survive the Office of Civil Rights (OCR) audits. Here’s a look at growing threats and ways medical practices can protect themselves.
