Protecting Your Healthcare Organization from Cyber Attacks and Threats

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Protecting Your Healthcare Organization from
Cyber Attacks and Threats
https//cybernewslive.com/
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Summary Healthcare professionals, navigating
challenges in patient care amid strict data
regulations and face heightened vulnerability to
evolving cyber threats. The sector grapples with
securing medical devices, addressing human
behavior risks, and managing economic pressures
within limited budgets. Medical device security
is crucial due to rapid technology integration,
emphasizing the need for operational integrity in
devices like IoT, tablets, and smartphones. Human
behaviors trust factor exposes staff to social
engineering, demanding and consistent security
awareness training to counter phishing and
ransomware risks. A comprehensive guide outlines
ten cyber security best practices for healthcare
CISOs and leaders, covering culture-building,
employee monitoring, password reinforcement, risk
assessments, network limits, software security,
multi-factor authentication, incident response
planning, vendor oversight, and data encryption.
Sustaining a resilient defence requires continual
vigilance, ongoing training, and adaptability to
emerging threats in the ever-evolving landscape
of cyber security.
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In a regular patients medical record at a
healthcare organisation, youd usually find
details like the persons full name, address,
birthdate, phone number, email, Social Security
(or similar) number, emergency contact info,
health insurance details, and sometimes even
credit card and bank account information.
Stealing a healthcare record on the dark web can
earn a cyber criminal about 1,000, a much higher
value than the 5 paid for stolen credit card
numbers. This high payout is why the healthcare
industry has become a major target for cyber
criminals. Cyber criminals dont care about the
size, location, or specific type of
healthcarethey just want those healthcare
records. The challenge is that nurses, doctors,
and other medical staff are often too busy
dealing with critical situations to notice a
cyber attack or a device infected by malware.
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According to a Healthcare Business Technology
article from September 2019 ? There were over
2,500 reported cyber data breaches between 2009
and 2018. ? 62 of healthcare organisations had a
breach in 12 months. ? The average cost of a data
breach in a medical centre is 3.62 million. In
a 2022 Gone Phishing Tournament report, it was
found that 33.3 of healthcare employees gave
away their login credentials by filling out a
form to claim a gift card. As we dig deeper into
why cyber criminals value medical records and
their importance, lets look at healthcare
providers significant cyber security challenges
in safeguarding their patients sensitive
information.
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The Largest Cyber Security Challenges Facing
Healthcare
Healthcare faces significant challenges in cyber
security as organisations strive to provide
advanced patient care, control costs, and comply
with evolving regulations on electronic records,
IT security, and data protection. Balancing the
delivery of high-quality patient care with the
demands of strict data regulations and IT
security measures can strain healthcare
resources, potentially heightening the
vulnerability to cyber threats. Cyber criminals
exploit the fact that healthcare professionals
are now tasked with safeguarding data, a
responsibility they may not be trained for and
lack the time to handle. In the battle against
cyber threats and attacks, healthcare experts,
security leaders, CISOs, and organisations
encounter three key cyber security challenges
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Securing Medical Devices
With the rapid integration of new technologies,
such as medical IoT, tablets, and smartphones,
security leaders face challenges in ensuring the
security of medical devices. In the healthcare
sector, maintaining the operational status of
medical devices is critical for patient care and,
in some cases, life-saving interventions. To
enhance medical device security Ensure that all
medical devices, networks, operating systems,
tablets, and smartphones are equipped with the
latest operating system and software versions.
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Human Behavior Human inclination towards trust
and helping others makes them susceptible to
social engineering, phishing, ransomware, and
other cyber attacks. Implementing consistent
security awareness training for all employees is
crucial, using real-world scenarios to highlight
security risks associated with emails, text
messages, and phone calls. A comprehensive
awareness program clarifies and communicates
responsibilities in handling information and
technology resources, fostering a collective
understanding of each individuals role in
maintaining organisational security.
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Economic Pressures Healthcare institutions,
including hospitals, research centres, and
clinics, often operate under tight budgets,
posing challenges in allocating resources to IT
security and security awareness training. When
addressing system issues, its vital to consider
not only the cost of IT but also productivity
costs, such as staff hours and backlogs resulting
from the downtime of critical equipment like MRI
machines. To address economic pressures ?
Ensure that management and leaders comprehend the
economic costs associated with cyber attacks and
data breaches. ? Emphasize how updated software
and innovative security awareness training
campaigns can mitigate these costs.
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10 Best Practices for Cyber Security in
Healthcare A Guide for CISOs and Security Leaders
Securing healthcare data is paramount, and these
ten cyber security best practices serve as a
foundation for enhancing your organisations data
security 1. Foster a Cyber Secure Culture
Initiate regular and consistent security
awareness training for all employees. Utilize
interactive and engaging training sessions with
real-world scenarios to instill behaviour changes
and heighten cyber security consciousness.
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2. Monitor Employee Awareness Regularly assess
employees knowledge of phishing and ransomware,
ensuring their awareness remains current. Conduct
phishing simulations to gauge retention rates and
address vulnerabilities. 3. Reinforce Strong
Password Practices Remind employees to create
and use robust passwords, particularly on mobile
devices. Conduct training sessions, especially
for organisations with bring-your-own-device
(BYOD) programs, emphasizing mobile device cyber
security. 4. Conduct Regular Risk Assessments
Perform comprehensive risk assessments covering
networks, technologies, software, applications,
and employee practices. Identify vulnerabilities
to implement timely patches, upgrades, and
security awareness training.
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5. Limit Network Access Grant access to specific
data only to individuals who require it. Ensure
that authorized personnel possess advanced
security awareness knowledge and undergo regular
training on evolving cyber attack methods. 6.
Maintain Software and System Security Keep all
applications, internal software, network tools,
and operating systems up-to-date and secure.
Utilize firewalls, white-listing applications,
malware protection, and anti-spam software, and
control both physical and virtual access. 7.
Implement Multi-Factor Authentication Enhance
security by implementing multi-factor
authentication for critical systems and data
access. This additional layer of protection
mitigates risks, preventing unauthorized access
even if a password is compromised.
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8. Develop an Incident Response Plan Establish a
detailed incident response plan outlining the
steps to take in the event of a breach, cyber
attack, or other security incidents. A
well-prepared response plan is crucial for
minimizing damage and ensuring a swift
recovery. 9. Monitor Third-Party Vendors Manage
and monitor third-party vendors with access to
your systems and data. Establish clear guidelines
for their access and actively monitor their
activities within your system to detect and
address potential risks. 10. Encrypt Sensitive
Data Encrypt sensitive data during transit and
at rest. Patient information, financial data, and
other confidential details should remain
unreadable in the event of unauthorized access,
adding an extra layer of protection.
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Conclusion
In the ever-changing world of cyber security,
protecting healthcare businesses from cyber
assaults and threats is a critical
responsibility. The complex nature of the
healthcare business, with its large reservoirs of
sensitive data, necessitates a strong defence
against malevolent actors seeking unauthorized
access. Healthcare businesses may strengthen
their digital defences by taking preemptive
actions, implementing strict security standards,
and fostering a cyber security awareness culture.
Vigilance, regular training, and staying on top
of developing threats are critical components in
this continuing war. To summarize, the commitment
to safeguarding healthcare information is more
than just a technological necessity it is a
pledge to protect patient data, maintain
confidence, and assure the continuity of quality
healthcare services in an increasingly linked
world.
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