From disease prevention and the administration of medical care to patient information management and the use of essential medical equipment, many aspects of healthcare administration are increasingly reliant on information technology. This reliance can be a point of weakness if healthcare leadership does not prioritize cybersecurity.
Healthcare organizations are increasingly vulnerable to the actions of bad-faith actors who have an incentive to harm them or to obtain financial gains or data. Being aware of the potential healthcare cybersecurity risks within your environment and how they can impact your organization’s future is an essential step in resolving these issues once they occur or before they happen. A healthcare IT management firm can provide critical support in developing healthcare cybersecurity strategies for your healthcare company’s unique needs.
Cybersecurity Concerns for Healthcare Providers
The healthcare sector is an essential component of our everyday lives. As they provide needed medical care and make strides in improving overall public health through their work, healthcare providers and organizations alike must be mindful of how exposed they may be to cybersecurity threats and how these threats can wreak havoc on their operations.
Risk management should be a key component of healthcare leadership’s overall organizational strategy. Leaders should understand what makes their ecosystem, the products and services they offer, and the systems and equipment they rely on vulnerable to common threats.
Data Breaches
Data breaches are a major concern for healthcare providers. Healthcare organizations are required to follow state and federal law for the protection of patient health information [PHI]. Over the years, the way that patient information is stored and accessed has evolved, with electronic health records [EHR] management emerging as a developing sector within the healthcare industry.
Cyber-attacks targeting patient health records, financial information, or proprietary data have become much more sophisticated. Cybercriminals can use social engineering tactics, including phishing, to get healthcare staff to divulge sensitive information. The fast-paced and often urgent nature of healthcare work makes it easier for criminals to evade detection and achieve their malicious intent.
Ransomware
Ransomware attacks are one of the most pressing cybersecurity concerns for healthcare providers in the age of developing technology.
In these types of attacks, a cybercriminal accesses critical information and withholds access to that information from healthcare providers through encryption or the use of malware, preventing them from carrying out critical healthcare work. They then demand large sums of money to restore access to this data.
Ransomware attacks are highly effective due to the urgency of the work healthcare providers perform. In a healthcare setting, swift access to patient information in real-time can make the difference between life and death. This places providers at a greater risk of falling victim to cyber-attacks if they are unable to make critical decisions based on this data.
Not having immediate access to patient information or an inability to operate patient monitoring tools that have been hacked by cybercriminals can make a major negative difference in a patient’s health or healthcare experience.
Healthcare Cybersecurity Leaks
Understanding the potential cybersecurity leaks in your organization is as imperative as knowing what cybersecurity attacks your organization can fall victim to.
Data breaches, ransomware attacks, or other healthcare cybersecurity concerns can occur within different areas of the organizational ecosystem and stem from both insufficiencies in the human factor and technology.
Insufficient Cybersecurity Training
Healthcare organizations that employ many staff and providers are at a greater risk of cyber-attacks if they fail to properly train their employees on how to identify cybersecurity threats and ways to address these potential breaches efficiently.
Human error is a major risk factor for cyber-attacks since healthcare workers are vulnerable to phishing attempts or having their credentials compromised. If workers are not well-versed on how to adequately protect access to data, they are more likely to make mistakes and put an organization at a greater risk of having sensitive data exposed.
Third-Party Vendor Risks
Healthcare organizations are equally exposed to cybersecurity risks through their partnership with third-party vendors. Relationships with third-party vendors are essential in the healthcare sector, as they supply healthcare facilities with essential medical devices, needed software, and other services that play a key role in the flow of operations.
Criminals are known to target third-party vendors as a vehicle for gaining access to healthcare provider data. They can do so because healthcare organizations often lack direct oversight of a third party’s cybersecurity framework. In addition, since much of the software utilized in these types of organizations is deeply interconnected with other parts of their ecosystem, this vulnerability may lead to a major cybersecurity leak that may not be detected rapidly.
Legacy Technology
A third significant risk area for healthcare organizations is their reliance on inadequately secured legacy technology. Older tech, including machines, software, and networks, can be a critical component of a healthcare organization’s operational environment. They can also expose the business to a plethora of cybersecurity threats that may not be as easily detectable until they manifest.
Though legacy technology can still be functional and continue to perform adequately as years pass, it may be unable to support or be equipped with advanced cybersecurity measures, including encryption, firewalls, or multifactor authentication. Legacy technology’s limitations in relation to security protocols can leave organizations wide open to data breaches and ransomware attacks.
Healthcare organizations that rely heavily on legacy technology may resist the idea of upgrading legacy technology due to the large costs of doing so, or because replacing or removing this legacy technology and systems can cause major organizational disruptions if they are deeply integrated into the organizational and care infrastructure.
Consequences of Healthcare Cybersecurity Breaches
Cybersecurity risks are ever-present, especially as technology like artificial intelligence (AI) and the use of the Internet of Things (IoT) continue to be increasingly embedded into healthcare operations. The potential areas of attack continue to increase exponentially, making it more difficult to catch a cybersecurity threat before it is too late. It is important, however, to address these cybersecurity threats as quickly as possible.
A data breach can lead to a loss of trust from patients and affiliated partners, which can severely damage an organization’s reputation. Managing data breaches can also be costly, especially for providers that fall for ransomware attacks. These types of attacks can cause a severe financial blow to an organization.
Due to the nature of healthcare work, cybersecurity attacks can also result in life-altering consequences, especially if they lead to operational downtime. Healthcare leadership is responsible for their organization’s security and should, therefore, prioritize cybersecurity management to avoid the repercussions of cybersecurity failures.
Healthcare Cybersecurity Strategies
Developing and implementing adequate healthcare cybersecurity strategies is pivotal to an organization’s survival amid the increasing threat of cyberattacks. Filling the gaps in a healthcare information technology network involves implementing cybersecurity measures that accommodate an organization’s budget and incorporate barriers through human detection and technology.
A sound healthcare cybersecurity strategy can contain the following elements:
Evaluation of Potential Risk Areas
An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure. This holds true for cybersecurity in healthcare. Focusing on understanding potential risk areas for cybersecurity threats can be a cost-effective way of preventing insidious attacks before they occur.
Proper Vetting of Third-Party Contractors
Risk evaluation extends to partnerships with actors within the healthcare supply chain. Cybersecurity risk can be reduced by understanding what access third-party vendors have to existing information and limiting exposure of data whenever necessary. It is also essential to audit existing vendors’ cybersecurity infrastructure and to assess a new partner’s IT security framework before they are added to the existing ecosystem.
Educating Staff on Risk Management
Sound healthcare cybersecurity strategies should also address the role of human error in cybersecurity threats. By providing staff with comprehensive cybersecurity training, healthcare organizations can significantly reduce the risk of threats. This focus can be twofold: showing workers how to detect malicious actions and providing a proper mechanism to respond to future threat events.
Allocating Funds Toward Cyber Security Safeguards
No amount of training can mitigate all potential cybersecurity risks within the healthcare ecosystem. It is as important for healthcare providers to allocate a portion of the budget to cybersecurity technology that can help detect certain threats and block them whenever possible. It is also essential to invest in technology to patch security leaks within legacy systems and technology.
Prioritizing Data Backup
The effectiveness of ransomware attacks can be diminished if a healthcare organization manages its data proactively. Relying on consistent data backup can allow healthcare providers to address critical patient needs in the event of a data breach and reduce the urgency created by the theft of data access.
Monitoring Cybersecurity Systems
Monitoring and evaluation can help solidify healthcare cybersecurity strategies. Real-time monitoring can provide an organization with essential data on ongoing cybersecurity risks. It can also be helpful to test out security measures through exercises that test staff response to potential threats.
Healthcare leadership has several options when it comes to incorporating effective healthcare cybersecurity strategies to address gaps in their healthcare organization’s ecosystem. Investing in upgrading technology and implementing a threat-management plan are critical strategies for facilities and providers to tackle threats before they happen and effectively respond to urgent concerns when they occur.
Benefits of Partnering With an IT Service Management Firm
As healthcare leaders consider options for safeguarding their organizations against potential cybersecurity threats, it’s easy to feel overwhelmed by the scope of the task. Partnering with a trusted healthcare IT service management organization can provide effective cybersecurity support as leaders and workers alike focus on other aspects of patient care.
An IT service management firm can assess an organization’s security needs more effectively than leaders on the ground. Firms can help leaders prioritize the most urgent actions if healthcare organizations face severe budgetary constraints.
Whether your organization needs to develop cybersecurity training for staff or you’re simply unsure of how to assess vendor compliance with IT security guidelines to ensure they are not vulnerable to breaches, IT management can help. A knowledgeable team of IT security experts can provide you with the information needed to create an effective cybersecurity strategy for a healthcare organization.
Prioritizing Healthcare Cybersecurity Can Help Reduce Costs Long-Term
The nature of healthcare operations is constantly evolving as healthcare organizations continue to incorporate new technology within the healthcare environment, especially with advances in healthcare artificial intelligence. Being proactive about your organization’s cybersecurity needs can help protect your organization against data breaches and ransomware attacks, both of which can inflict severe damage to a healthcare organization’s reputation and finances.
Developing comprehensive healthcare cybersecurity strategies that address risk factors like human error and unsecured legacy technology through cost-effective measures can provide organizations with a sense of relief to carry out their life-saving work.
Healthcare IT Service Management (ITSM) provides critical cybersecurity support to healthcare organizations. Our team of cybersecurity experts delivers service, support, and advice that addresses the unique needs of your healthcare organization, whether you are a healthcare startup or an established healthcare provider. We rely on a holistic cybersecurity threat management approach to efficiently help secure your organization without compromising on budgetary constraints and operational needs.
Learn more about our healthcare IT management services. Contact us today to schedule a free consultation.
Resources:
- U.S. House Committee on Energy and Commerce. (2024, March 20). What we learned: Change Healthcare cyber attack. Energy and Commerce. https://energycommerce.house.gov/posts/what-we-learned-change-healthcare-cyber-attack
- OneBlood. (2024). Ransomware details. https://www.oneblood.org/pages/ransomware-details.html
- Jain, A., & Sippy, P. (2023). Ransomware attacks on U.S. healthcare organizations: A review of the literature and public health implications. Cureus, 15(4), e37231. https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC10123010/
- Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency. (n.d.). Stop ransomware. U.S. Department of Homeland Security. https://www.cisa.gov/stopransomware
- U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. (n.d.). Insider threats in healthcare. https://www.hhs.gov/sites/default/files/insider-threats-in-healthcare.pdf
- U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. (n.d.). Social engineering: Targeting the HPH sector. https://www.hhs.gov/sites/default/files/social-engineering-targeting-the-hph-sector-tlpclear.pdf
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