Hospital cybersecurity continues to be an important concern in the industry of healthcare. For example, in 2020, 18% of hospitals allocate 1-2 percent of their IT budget towards healthcare cybersecurity, while 24% dedicate between 3-6%.
What prompts hospitals and clinics to continually invest in cybersecurity services instead of enhancing their management systems? The simple answer lies in the sensitive nature of healthcare. Hospitals need to collect data that should remain confidential and secure. All this is to offer the required services for each patient.
More than 77 percent of healthcare institutions have already encountered breaches of the information. These scenarios can lead to serious repercussions for any medical establishment. They range from patient loss to the potential closure of the facility.
In an interview with HealthTech, Tom Kellermann, Chief Cybersecurity Officer of Carbon Black, stated: “Health information is a gold mine for criminals. By compromising, stealing, and selling it, you have 7 to 10 personal identifying characteristics of an individual.”
Misappropriated data can serve many illegal purposes, such as extortion. CBS News also reported on the theft and sale of medical records on the dark web.
But extortion isn’t the only motivation behind medical records stealing. This information can also be used to create fraudulent ID cards for the purchase of medical devices or drugs and to submit bogus insurance claims.
Another challenge arises from the increasing adoption of connected systems in healthcare. Electronic health records and the Internet of Medical Things bring lots of benefits. Yet, they introduce new vulnerabilities and expand the attack surface that criminals can exploit.
What can healthcare organizations do to reduce the data breach risk?
We intend to delve into cybersecurity issues within hospitals.
Furthermore, there will be an inclusive cybersecurity checklist. It can be beneficial for software development in any healthcare institution: clinics, hospitals, or nursing centers.
We aim to give an overview of the influence of cybersecurity on hospital practices and the potential consequences of neglecting healthcare cybersecurity.
Why a Healthcare Cybersecurity Audit is Essential
Effective cybersecurity in the health sector begins with recognizing the prevalent issue. Now 62% of clinics feel ill-equipped to address cyber threats. In the meantime, the average expense of a healthcare data breach has soared up to $6.5 million.
Statista examined cybersecurity incidents impacting US organizations in 2020. 57% of clinics were affected by phishing, 21% faced credential harvesting attacks, and 20% experienced ransomware.
A security risk assessment can spotlight weaknesses and identify potential future security concerns. An effective hospital cybersecurity checklist should begin with a thorough cybersecurity audit.
The main goal of this audit is to protect the data from potential electronic threats and ensure the security of electronic documentation and ePHI. It involves conducting a thorough vulnerability check and developing a plan to establish a strong data management system.
We highlight five key reasons for conducting a cybersecurity audit in your healthcare facility.
Find potential security gaps
Cybersecurity checklists for healthcare institutions consistently highlight one major point: awareness of your organization’s weaknesses in security.
Unfortunately, many clinics and hospitals overlook this issue, dedicating insufficient time to identify gaps. Yet, it’s important to implement a framework to pinpoint security issues. This can ensure patient data safety.
Establishing a breach response plan
In the quest to bolster hospital cybersecurity, many institutions adopt fresh security strategies. One of them is the development of contingency plans for data breaches. As such, in the case of an issue, the healthcare facility is prepared to mitigate risks and minimize damage.
Employee training and awareness
Introducing cyber security implementation services in hospitals also necessitates extra staff training. Everyone within your organization should understand the potential repercussions of data breaches. Formulating a set of stringent rules and regulations about software use is advisable. Assigning roles with different levels of information access to staff members could also be beneficial.
Insider threats also pose a significant challenge. Employees, contractors, and other insiders within healthcare organizations can unintentionally or intentionally compromise security through human error, negligence, or even malicious intent. Mitigating these insider risks is crucial for maintaining robust cybersecurity.
Preventing cyberattacks
If your organization is under constant attack, you need to find solutions immediately. But even if you were able to avoid such situations, preventative measures should be implemented right away. Keep your software updated and ensure robust endpoint protection.
Minimizing risks associated with third-party devices
Many institutions often use third-party devices. Even so, it’s crucial to ensure these devices are secure, which can help protect your portals and networks.
Hospital Cybersecurity Guidelines
Creating a hospital cybersecurity protocol necessitates proficiency in both healthcare and cybersecurity sectors. A staggering 66% of healthcare organizations acknowledge difficulties in recruiting such professionals.
If you have a similar case, our healthcare cybersecurity guide can assist you in navigating the initial stages of your journey.
Embrace Cloud Storage for the protection of the data
With cloud services, think about incorporating cloud visibility and control tools to supervise cloud usage. Recent studies indicate this can minimize security issues by up to 30%.
Obtain compliance certifications
Internal assessments may not suffice for the successful operation of your healthcare institution. In many instances, additional third-party audits are required. Thus you need to get all essential certifications: HIPAA, FISMA, GDPR, and PCI DSS.
Monitor all potential threat vectors
Presently, the threat landscape has expanded substantially. Whether it’s IoT, BYOD, big data, or any mobile device, you need to ensure all potential threat vectors are adequately safeguarded.
Implement a security breach detection protocol
According to an IBM report, the average duration to contain a breach in 2021 was 80 days. If you are oblivious to your cybersecurity weaknesses, you are in a danger zone. Hence, it is vital to often monitor the status of potential data breaches.
Ensure Firewall usage
Every organization should recognize that cybersecurity begins with a firewall. It is a primary line of defense against cyber attacks. The firewall operates by thwarting the attack. It provides you with an opportunity to prepare for it, particularly if you have a breach response plan.
Regularly back up your data
Disasters are unpredictable. Even the most robust cybersecurity measures cannot completely prevent them. However, you can mitigate the damage. By maintaining regular backups of all data, you can ensure that system downtime won’t hamper your staff’s operations.
Restrict system access
It is crucial to limit access to various system directories. Assign roles to your staff to ensure appropriate access levels. Seek a vendor who can assist with this task, as many providers offer extensive services enabling role-based access limitations.
Secure your WiFi
Cybersecurity protocols in healthcare unequivocally state that a network should be designated for personal usage and a secure network for professional purposes. The more devices that can connect to your network, the more vulnerable it becomes.
Stay up-to-date with system updates
Consistently updating all systems and software is vital to maintaining their security. Each update automatically fixes some security issues and identifies vulnerabilities. Thereby it enhances your systems’ protection.
Create individual accounts for all staff members
We have already highlighted the need for role-based access, but it’s worth stressing the importance of individual accounts for each employee. Consolidating multiple employees under a single account puts your hospital at risk.
This 10-step hospital cybersecurity guide explains critical factors affecting your organization’s security. Healthcare organizations must understand and address the unique challenges they face in cybersecurity. This includes safeguarding patient information and mitigating the risks of cyber threats. By taking proactive measures, they can create secure and resilient environment for healthcare.
Top 5 Hospital Cybersecurity Strategies
Best security practices for hospitals encapsulate the basic cybersecurity principles. They apply to all organizations employing electronic records. Here are the five best ways to enhance a hospital’s security.
Compliance with HIPAA rules is a must
The Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act governs the operations of all healthcare organizations, both offline and online. Currently, any healthcare-related product must be developed in compliance with HIPAA rules. Meeting these requirements while ensuring effective cybersecurity measures can be a daunting task. Otherwise, it cannot operate legally.
Always have a data recovery security plan
Safeguarding information and having a backup for emergencies is an important part of the healthcare cybersecurity protocol. However, a recovery plan must follow certain guidelines. It is crucial to separate the backed-up data and disconnect it from the production system.
Regulate the information shared with your staff
According to Forbes, insiders initiated 58% of all data breaches. Hence, it is a must to control the information shared within your organization. You can start by managing and segregating domain names, files, and folder attributes. The same applies to cryptographic attributes, physical or IP addresses, and digital signatures.
Encrypt your data
One of the practices adopted by healthcare is data encryption. Whenever it is transferred to or from your organization, it must be encrypted so that only the intended recipient is able to access it. At present, data encryption is a critical issue for the entire healthcare industry.
Regular risk assessments are vital
A single risk assessment won’t suffice in creating a secure data environment. Hence, you should conduct them on a regular basis, especially if you don’t have an IT specialist managing security issues. Limited resources and expertise can be challenging for healthcare organizations, particularly smaller ones. It may be difficult for them to implement and maintain strong cybersecurity measures. It often requires dedicated resources and specialized expertise in this area.
Enhancing Healthcare Cybersecurity: Why You Should Hire a Tech Firm
The realm of healthcare cybersecurity demands rigorous attention. Many organizations are regularly confronted with numerous challenges. The very examples are service attacks, spear phishing, malware, ransomware, and spyware. Thankfully, you don’t have to wrestle with these issues alone.
“I firmly believe that cybersecurity is the backbone of digital healthcare. We are committed to ensuring the safety of patient data while optimizing the efficiency of healthcare operations. At Softermii, we understand the multifaceted challenges faced by healthcare providers. We navigate the ever-evolving landscape of cyber threats with innovation, rigorous security standards, and a relentless dedication to safeguarding our clients’ trust.” – Slava Vaniukov, CEO of Softermii.
Ensuring data security is important when developing software and apps for clinics and hospitals. Recognizing the possible harm caused by data breaches, we take proactive measures to prevent failures and make significant investments in safeguarding your data. Utilizing a cross-dependent modular approach, we streamline the handling of potential breaches.
Organizations should focus on security right from the beginning when obtaining healthcare management systems or any applications for hospitals or clinics. Thus, every client maintains full control over security aspects during the development process.
All requisite systems and certificates are integrated seamlessly, which facilitates the safe operation of software or apps. Moreover, it’s important to provide maintenance services to our clients. These include data backup, regular software updates, and data breach detection.
Assert Cybersecurity Control
Cybersecurity in hospitals continues to be a pressing issue in the industry. Clinics, hospitals, and nursing centers are committed to investing in the development of secure, robust systems to avert any data breach or attack.
Thankfully, development companies are actively addressing this concern. They craft effective systems to mitigate risks and bolster the organization’s security. They are also introducing innovative solutions such as virtual nurse apps.
We firmly believe the healthcare industry necessitates a detail-oriented, professional approach. It’s important to ensure that all the latest trends in medical software development are incorporated without compromising security.
