Stay updated with the latest healthcare cybersecurity trends, news, and tips to protect patient data and comply with medical industry security standards.
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Background for this topic.
Healthcare is the delivery of clinical care and related services through hospitals, clinics, laboratories, pharmacies, insurers, and connected medical devices. It depends on electronic health records (EHRs), patient identity systems, diagnostic and imaging platforms, medication and scheduling systems, and data exchanges between organizations. These environments hold sensitive health and payment information, while the availability and integrity of systems can affect treatment, diagnostics, and patient safety.
Security concerns include unauthorized access or disclosure of records, alteration of clinical data, and disruption of care through attacks on EHRs, connected devices, or third-party services. Defenses require risk-based access controls, strong authentication, network separation where appropriate, secure device and software maintenance, backups that support clinical continuity, and tested downtime and incident-response procedures. Vulnerability management must account for legacy systems and devices that cannot be patched quickly. Privacy and compliance obligations, such as HIPAA in the United States, shape how organizations collect, use, share, retain, and report health information.
Throw another healthcare biz on the barby, mate Australian prescriptions provider MediSecure is the latest healthcare org to fall victim to a ransomware attack, with crooks apparently stealing patients' personal and health data.…
Data Stolen Over a Year Ago, But WebTPA Didn’t Discover Hack Until DecemberA Texas-based firm that provides health plan administration services is notifying more than 2.4 million individuals of a hacking incident and data theft that happened more than a year ago. Why did it take WebTPA so long to report that a breach occurred?
The WebTPA Employer Services (WebTPA) data breach disclosed earlier this month is impacting close to 2.5 million individuals, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services notes. [...]
Multiple UK councils have warned that residents’ personal data may have been compromised following a ransomware attack on NRS Healthcare
Electronic prescriptions provider MediSecure said the attack originated from a third-party vendor, and has impacted individuals’ personal and health information
e-Prescription Provider Brings in Government on Ransomware ResponseAustralian e-prescription firm MediSecure said it is dealing with a large-scale cyberattack that could affect the personal and health information of millions of patients. The company says it is working with the Australian government on a "whole-of-government response" to the ransomware attack.
Labor Department Publishes Set of Key Principles for Deploying AI in the WorkplaceThe Labor Department published a set of key principles on Thursday that aim to establish a framework for organizations to responsibly develop and deploy artificial intelligence systems in the workplace, prioritizing workers' rights, health and safety.
2020 Attack Affected 13,000 Blackbaud Clients, 1.5 Billion of Their 'Constituents'A federal judge has denied class certification in consolidated proposed class action litigation against Blackbaud stemming from the fundraising software vendor's 2020 ransomware attack that affected 13,000 clients and compromised data of about 1.5 million donors, patients and other individuals.
Thankfully, GE ultrasounds aren't Internet-facing. Exploiting most of the bugs to cause serious damage to patients would require physical device access.
Security researchers have disclosed almost a dozen security flaws impacting the GE HealthCare Vivid Ultrasound product family that could be exploited by malicious actors to tamper with patient data and even install ransomware under certain circumstances
GE HealthCare Says Risks Can Largely Be Mitigated Through Security Best PracticesSecurity researchers have found 11 vulnerabilities in certain GE HealthCare ultrasound products that could allow malicious actors to physically implant ransomware or manipulate patient data stored on the affected devices. GE said the risks can be mitigated through best security practices.
In Some Regions, ER Patients Still Diverted, Pharmacies Can't Fill PrescriptionsU.S. hospital chain Ascension is making progress recovering from last week's ransomware attack, but it will take time to restore all its affected IT services, including electronic health records and systems supporting its pharmacy operations.
The Singing River Health System is warning that it is now estimating that 895,204 people are impacted by a ransomware attack it suffered in August 2023. [...]
Advisories Come As Black Basta Appears Responsible for Ascension Ransomware AttackU.S. federal authorities warn that the Russian-speaking ransomware group Black Basta is actively targeting American critical infrastructure amid reports that it's behind the ransomware attack on hospital chain Ascension. The hospital chain is still operating under downtime procedures.
Emergency ambulances diverted while experts restore systems Multiple US security agencies have published advisories on Black Basta after the ransomware gang claimed responsibility for the recent attack on US healthcare provider Ascension.…
A ransomware attack on US private healthcare provider Ascension has disrupted patient care, with several hospitals currently on diversion
Modules Widely Deployed in Manufacturing, Telecommunications and Healthcare DevicesMultiple types of Telit Cinterion cellular modules for IoT and machine-to-machine devices, which are widely used across industrial, financial services, telecommunications and healthcare environments, are vulnerable to being remotely compromised via malicious SMS messages, security researchers warn.
The Black Basta ransomware-as-a-service (RaaS) operation has targeted more than 500 private industry and critical infrastructure entities in North America, Europe, and Australia since its emergence in April 2022