For the past decade, cybersecurity has been a growing concern in the United States. This is especially true for industries that handle sensitive information like healthcare, banking, and government. As technology continues to advance and become more accessible for consumers and businesses alike, we’ve seen an increase in attacks on these industries.
Healthcare Industry and Cybersecurity
The healthcare industry is one of the most heavily targeted industries for hackers, and this trend has been increasing in recent years. The reason for this is simple: hackers are looking for vulnerable systems that they can gain access to and exploit. Hospitals, because they’re largely unprotected or poorly protected at best, make an easy target.
Hospitals also have a unique challenge when it comes to cybersecurity—they don’t have the resources to defend themselves against attackers. There are several reasons why hospitals aren’t prepared to defend themselves against cyber criminals:
- Many hospitals aren’t even aware that they’ve been hacked until after it’s too late (or maybe even never). This happens because many hospitals do not monitor their systems closely enough or have a team dedicated to preventing breaches or detecting them as early as possible. In addition, hospital staff don’t always know how their own computers and devices are being used by others on campus—and if someone else has accessed these devices without permission from someone else who works there, then those devices could be compromised by hackers too!
- It costs money for hospitals to protect themselves from cyber attacks like these; however since healthcare organizations tend not be profitable enough on their own (or sometimes even break even), there simply isn’t enough capital available in order for them invest money into better security measures such as anti-virus software updates or firewalls which would help prevent data loss due falling victim toward viruses created specifically designed designed specifically those computers running Windows operating system because it often doesn’t require much skill level knowledge required
The Scope of the Problem
According to a study by the Ponemon Institute, healthcare organizations suffered nearly 50% more breaches than any other industry in 2015. In fact, some of these attacks resulted in several million dollars lost due to stolen funds, fraud and loss of revenue.
The source of these attacks is largely connected to the rise in digital health records (EHR). EHRs are used as a means for patients to access their medical history online, but they also make it easier for hackers to gain access and use that information for malicious purposes such as identity theft or blackmailing people with private health information.
What is Being Done?
Hospitals are getting smarter about cybersecurity.
Many hospitals have hired cybersecurity experts and are partnering with companies that specialize in information security. They’re also working with the government to improve the overall state of cybersecurity, especially on a national level.
Patient Safety
Patient safety is a top priority in the healthcare industry. It’s important to protect patient data and make sure it stays private. While many of us don’t often think about what happens if our medical records fall into the wrong hands, there are serious consequences to consider. A breach could lead to identity theft and other crimes committed in your name.
Awareness around breaches is increasing, so more people are taking precautions by protecting themselves with strong passwords and ensuring they have regular backups in case their records get compromised due to a cyberattack or hack attempt on their account.
The HIPAA Privacy Rule requires covered entities—healthcare providers who electronically store protected health information (PHI)—to take certain steps like encrypting PHI before sending it over the internet or storing it on portable devices such as laptops that leave their facilities; this makes it harder for others without authorization access confidential information about patients’ treatment plans or diagnoses without consent from both parties involved: physician & patient alike!
Medical Devices
Healthcare is a big target for hackers, and medical devices are not immune to attacks. Hackers can use medical devices to steal data, disrupt operations and cause physical harm to patients. They can also spy on patients.
As other industries get smarter about cybersecurity, hackers turn their sights toward healthcare.
As other industries get smarter about cybersecurity, hackers turn their sights toward healthcare.
Hackers are always looking for a new target: when one industry starts to lock down its systems, hackers look for an easier target elsewhere. Healthcare is easy prey because it’s not as tech-savvy as other industries and often can’t afford the cost of keeping up with technology advancements in cybersecurity. Hackers know that they can make money by hacking into medical records because they can sell them on the Dark Web or blackmail patients if they want to keep their privacy intact.
Healthcare has been targeted by hackers.
Healthcare has been a prime target for hackers in the past years, and it’s not hard to see why.
- Hackers know that healthcare is a big target because they have access to tons of data.
- Hackers know that healthcare is a big target because they have access to sensitive data about their patients.
If you’re wondering how hackers got their hands on all this information, it’s simple: health care organizations are trying their best to be as transparent with their patients as possible. When you ask for your medical records online or on your phone, hackers can easily take advantage of this by gaining access and stealing them from there—and then selling them off!
It can be incredibly easy to compromise healthcare
It can be incredibly easy to compromise healthcare.
Hospitals and clinics are not always aware of their vulnerabilities, the threats they face or how to mitigate them. They’re also often not aware of the consequences of a breach. Given these factors, it’s hardly surprising that many healthcare organizations fail to implement best practices when it comes to cybersecurity.
The attacks are usually extortion based
It’s not just the ransom that hackers are after. They also use their hacking skills to gain access to patient data, which can then be sold on the Dark Web for a profit. Some hackers even threaten to release patient data if a ransom is not paid. This is why it’s important to protect your data and keep it safe from any intruders.
Another common attack that hospitals suffer from is ransomware, whereby a hacker will infect an IT system with malware or viruses and then demand payment in order to remove them. Hackers often target small hospitals because they’re less likely to have good security systems in place – meaning there’s less of a chance their actions will be detected by larger organizations such as hospitals.
Healthcare institutions don’t have the resources to defend themselves
It’s important to note that healthcare institutions have a lot of other priorities. They’re underfunded, understaffed and don’t have the resources to defend themselves against attacks. The lack of cybersecurity expertise is an even more significant problem.
For example, hospitals are not incentivized to spend money on cybersecurity because they’re not making money from it (unlike most businesses). Instead of investing in prevention strategies, many hospitals allocate their resources for patient care and medical research instead—and this leaves them vulnerable to cyberattacks and data breaches.
Healthcare is an easy target for hackers
Hospitals are an easy target for hackers. Here’s why:
- Hospitals are often understaffed, meaning they don’t have enough people to handle the workload. This makes them more susceptible to mistakes and errors—which is exactly what a hacker wants.
- Because of funding issues, hospitals often have antiquated security systems that can be hacked easily by outsiders using off-the-shelf software available through any tech store or website.
- Because of outdated security measures, hospitals are not prepared for a cyber attack—making them vulnerable targets for hackers looking to gain access to sensitive information about patients and their diagnoses.
Conclusion
Cybersecurity is a complex issue, and we’re only beginning to understand its full implications. But as this case study shows, it’s clear that the healthcare industry needs to get smarter about how they handle information security issues. There are ways they can do this today, but they will have to act quickly if they don’t want their patients or information compromised by hackers with malicious intentions.