Every growing industry is the potential target of hackers, and so is the healthcare industry. Healthcare organizations deal with essential and sensitive patients’ information. To ensure the safety of this information, the healthcare system needs a sound cybersecurity infrastructure to prevent the patients’ information from malicious access.
Fortunately, healthcare companies are taking cybersecurity seriously. Nearly 41% of organizations have reported that they are implementing a fully functional security program to prevent cyber risks. According to Cybersecurity Ventures, the healthcare sector will spend about $65 billion between 2017 and 2021 on cybersecurity services and products.
If you also run a healthcare organization and want to protect your business from any potential cyberattack, here are five things you can do to reduce the risk:
1. Stay HIPAA Compliance
For healthcare businesses, HIPPA compliance is critical to safeguard patients’ and clients’ personal data. It protects sensitive information in the healthcare industry from spammers, hackers, identity thieves, and other malefactors.
HIPPA offers the following three types of safeguards:
- Technical Safeguards: Technical Safeguards control access to ePHI data using unique user accounts, user authentication, automatic account logout, and encryption of data. When it comes to signing documents online, using HIPAA Compliant eSignature tools is crucial.
- Administrative Safeguards: These safeguards encompass more than half of the entire HIPAA security rules. These impose process-oriented controls, including risk analysis, policies, training, etc. Put simply, the administrative safeguards define the standard operating procedures (SOPs) and policies for how an organization complies with the HIPAA Rule.
- Physical Safeguards: Physical Safeguards include controlling physical access to ePHI (electronic protected health information) locations. Though necessary policies and procedures, physical safeguard focuses on protecting the ePHI systems and their requisite equipment, facilities, and other infrastructures any potential hazards and unauthorized intrusion.
2. Cybersecurity Training for Staff
Healthcare cybersecurity training has different meanings for different healthcare companies. Regardless of the meaning, proper cybersecurity training not only safeguards your organization, it is also required to be HIPAA-compliant.
No more than ever, healthcare firms record a massive amount of extremely sensitive personal information of their patients and medical practitioners. At the same time, the number of recorded cyber threats has grown exponentially. In 2018, data security breaches in the healthcare industry skyrocketed by 1,000%.
Such issues underscore the need for awareness of cybersecurity among all healthcare professionals. In fact, staff members in any organization from the frontline resource in safeguarding the business from any cyberattacks. That makes apparent why staff training is critical in the healthcare industry.
However, since not all organizations are the same, a one-size-fits-all training approach is unrealistic. Fortunately, there are dedicated firms that offer tailored training programs to healthcare professionals. A good training program helps to cultivate a well-educated and knowledgeable staff that protects your organization from cyberattacks and security breaches.
3. Ensure The Security Of All Medical Devices
The real and most damaging security problems go beyond outdated software and unchanged passwords. Medical device manufacturers develop new, advanced and connected products that offer many benefits. These benefits include better patient monitoring, improved treatment, precise diagnosis, automated reporting and data controlling. However, increased connectivity and convenience comes with a risk of data compromise.
So, healthcare organizations have to take extra steps to make sure their devices are safe and secure. An ideal security solution must protect medical devices from tampering. It should allow for secure communication and protect devices from cyberattacks.
An ideal security solution protects medical devices from tampering. It secures data, avails secure communication, and protects systems from potential cyberattacks. Healthcare businesses should develop and implement critical security layers for customized security of devices.
4. Get Cyber Insurance
With the growing number of hacks and security breaches in the healthcare industry, the costs for cybersecurity have equally exploded.
The industry spends 64 percent more in advertising within the past two years that following a breach. We can say that it takes nearly $1.4 million to recover from cyberattacks.
Cyber insurance helps combat these costs. Cyber insurance plans have become so popular that the market is soon to reach $6.2 billion by the end of 2020. Cyber insurance covers digital security issues, data breaches, cybercrime, and hacking. It covers any legal fees, software, or hardware, damaged network, and other associated losses. Some policies even cover HIPAA-related fines. That’s why it makes sense to get a cyber insurance plan.
Make sure you do your research and due diligence when buying cyber insurance.
- Block Tracking Third-Party Cookies
As the demand for privacy and security is increasing among internet users, many top browser sites including Apple’s Safari and Mozilla’s Firefox has eliminated third-party cookies. Google is following the same path. All this is in an effort to allow greater privacy and security to web users.
Still, there are many health sites that allow third-part cookies, leading to the risk of sharing personal health information – like fertility, medical conditions, and menstruation, without the patient’s consent. For example, as per an FT investigation, the ovulation cycle and menstruation information from BabyCentre used with Amazon Marketing. Similarly, drug names typed on Drugs.com were sent to DoubleClick that is Google’s ad unit.
Therefore, healthcare organizations should block tracking third-party cookies. Healthcare companies should strive to keep online traffic invisible. Blocking tracking cookies makes it impossible for third parties to follow online traffic. In addition, it also helps prevent giving anyone, who is unauthorized, access into a secure account.
Conclusion
Using these five ways, healthcare organizations can strengthen their IT infrastructure and prevent it from any potential cyber threat. It is important for businesses to hire seasoned informatics professionals who not only help collect and manage data but also protect all types of information with the organization.
Besides these five, there are several other ways to reduce cyber risks within healthcare companies like you can also adapt Digital signature software for your healthcare firm, such as developing high standards for vendors, limiting remote connectivity, and restricting employee access to external email sites. With these efforts and measures, you can ensure worry-free data management within your healthcare firm.
