Healthcare data breaches have become not just a concern but a crisis. They inflict substantial financial damage on healthcare organizations, and more alarmingly, they jeopardize the security and privacy of patients. In fact, it is the complexity and volume of health data that healthcare organizations possess, and them being a critical infrastructure industry, that makes healthcare data breaches one of the most costliest data breaches in any industry. The healthcare sector continues to be the most expensive industry for data breaches for the 13th year in a row. The average cost of a healthcare data breach reached nearly US$11 million in 2023. This is a 53% increase in cost since 2020. In this article, we'll delve into the intricate web of healthcare data breaches, exploring why they are so expensive, and the crucial measures healthcare institutions must take to safeguard sensitive patient information. The Healthcare Data Breach Landscape The healthcare industry is in the crosshairs of cybercriminals, and for good reason. Electronic Health Records (EHRs) contain a treasure trove of sensitive patient information, including medical histories, Social Security numbers, and insurance details. This is exacerbated with the increase in reliance on EHRs and shifting more operations to the cloud in recent years. This makes them an attractive target for cybercriminals seeking financial gain through identity theft and fraud. As Loke stated in a conference, healthcare organizations are prime targets due to the sheer volume of data healthcare organizations are handling, and it is more than any data that other industries handle. There has been an alarming rise in cyber threats in the healthcare industry, with healthcare organizations becoming the top targets for ransomware gangs. This is because of the fact that the healthcare industry is seen as profitable targets by cybercriminals. It has been found that in 2022, healthcare organizations experienced 1,426 attacks PER WEEK - this is a 60% increase from the previous year. This growing trend raises serious concerns about patient safety, data privacy, and the integrity of critical healthcare systems. Why Is The Healthcare Industry So Vulnerable? The healthcare industry is among the most vulnerable to data breaches because of several reasons. 1. Expanding Attack Surfaces Since the pandemic, there has been a dramatic acceleration of the use of network and internet-connected devices. With this digitalisation of patients’ data, processes and services, this has led to easier accessibility and communication. However, this results in more open points in which cybercriminals can attack from, expanding their attack surfaces. This has led to the healthcare industry becoming even more attractive targets to cybercriminals and becoming more vulnerable to data breaches. 2. Complex Supply Chains The healthcare system is a highly complex supply chain which includes a myriad of products and services. Examples such as scanning machines and CRM appointment software. This complex extensive network of medical devices (which hospitals can have up to thousands of medical devices) and services makes security practices tougher to incorporate. What is so dangerous about this complex extensive network is that each act as a potential threat/weak point for cybercriminals to attack. This is scary as all you need is just to compromise 1 device to access the whole network, which cybercriminals can then breach your data and hack into your medical devices. 3. Outdated Medical Devices Many medical devices do play a critical role in modern healthcare, however these devices increase the entry points for attacks. Medical devices are developed to fulfill certain specific roles such as dispensing drugs or scanning the body. Therefore, cyber security and patient data protection is not the primary concern in design. Although these devices do not hold patient information, cybercriminals tend to use these medical devices as an easy gateway to launch an attack on a server that has valuable information. This is because medical devices tend to lack the security that laptops and computers tend to have. What makes it worse is that cybercriminals can disrupt a healthcare organization’s operations, that could hinder life-saving treatments for patients, by completely taking over a medical device, and preventing proper use of it. 4. Lagging in Cybersecurity In terms of cybersecurity, the healthcare industry lags behind other critical infrastructure industries such as the financial and manufacturing sector. Both of these sectors are built around securing data and patient information. This is evident whereby the healthcare sector was ranked the lowest in several cybersecurity domains such as having the 2nd lowest score in identity management security, lowest in network security, & sensitive data and information management. This is further corroborated by a report which found that non-for-profit healthcare organizations are at a “very high risk” for cyberattacks, and corporate healthcare organizations are at a “high risk” for cyberattacks. 5. Dependency On Third Parties The healthcare industry has a wide array of third party partners that have access to their systems. This includes vendors or other agencies. With the healthcare industry becoming more reliant on these services, this opens up for more attacking surfaces in which cybercriminals can target. This is evident from the fact that 17% of healthcare breaches occurred due to a third-party being compromised. As of recently, many organizations have been breached by the MOVEit attacks due to their third-party vendors. Examples include 612,000 Medicare beneficiaries exposed due to a Medicare contractor being hit by the MOVEit attack and 4 million Coloradans’ medical data exposed due to the contacting company being exploited by the MOVEit attack. 6. Overstretched, Overwork Staff Majority of data breaches are due to human error and unauthorized disclosure. With the amount of work and stress that hospital’s workers go through, it is not surprising that for many, cybersecurity is not the top of mind for them. Hence, people might also tend to use shortcuts to work more efficiently, which results in them engaging in sloppy practices such as keeping passwords on a sticky note stuck to their monitor, or using easily guessable passwords. The Expensive Toll of a Data Breach in Healthcare Healthcare data breaches exact a multifaceted toll on organizations, encompassing financial, reputational, and regulatory consequences: 1. Financial Fallout
2. Reputational Damage
3. Regulatory Scrutiny Healthcare organizations are subject to strict regulations and compliance standards, such as the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) and the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR). These regulations mandate the protection of patient data and hold organizations accountable for security breaches. Failure to comply with these regulations can result in severe legal and financial consequences. Best Practices To Protect Patient Data & Healthcare Systems 1. Implement Robust Security Measures Healthcare institutions should deploy multi-layered security measures, including:
2. Regular Employee Training Healthcare personnel must be well-informed about cybersecurity best practices.
3. Incident Response Plans Healthcare organizations should develop comprehensive incident response and recovery plans to minimize the impact of cyber attacks.
4. Endpoint Security & Backups
5. Compliance Adhere to your country’s and industry standards and regulations such as the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) for the former and the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) regulations for the latter. These regulations mandate the protection of patient data and hold organizations accountable for security breaches. Failure to comply with these regulations can result in severe legal and financial consequences. Ensure to also maintain a culture of compliance within the organization. This is important as this not only minimizes the possibility of a data breach, and hence the severe legal and financial consequences you might face. Takeaway Healthcare data breaches come at a high cost, both financially and in terms of patient trust. To protect sensitive patient information and the financial health of their institutions, healthcare organizations must make data security a top priority. The proactive measures discussed in this article are not just good practices; they are essential defenses against the costly consequences of data breaches in the healthcare sector. In a world where data is king, safeguarding it is paramount. Cyber Security For Healthcare with TAFA Healthcare organizations are top targets for cyber threat actors, and they are facing increasingly sophisticated cyber threats. To protect against these threats, it is necessary to utilize cybersecurity solutions that can prevent zero-day and advanced cyber threats and help ensure regulatory compliance. With our prevention first and zero-trust approach to security using machine learning (ML) and artificial intelligence (AI), TAFA Shield will strengthen your company's ability to prevent and block cyber attacks and threats. To learn more information about TAFA Shield and how we can help your company, do not hesitate to contact us for more information. Related Topics The Vital Importance of Cybersecurity in Healthcare: Safeguarding Lives and Data The Urgent Need for Cybersecurity in the Healthcare Industry: Lessons from the ASL 1 Abruzzo Cyber Attack. Unraveling the MOVEit Data Breach: More Than 554 Organizations & 37 Million Individuals Affected Cybersecurity Wake-up Call: The Skyrocketing Breach Costs of 2023 At All-Time High Ransomware - A Growing Problem & Best Practices For You and Your Company Comments are closed.
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