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.
Also: Apple Wi-Fi Vulnerabilities; Cyberattack on Ascension HospitalIn the latest weekly update, ISMG editors discussed the current state of Secure Access Service Edge solutions in 2024, vulnerabilities in Apple's Wi-Fi-based positioning system, and the patient safety questions arising after a cyberattack hit a U.S. hospital.
Asks Agencies Not to 'Scapegoat' Firm's CISO, But to Hold CEO and Board AccountableU.S. Sen. Ron Wyden, D-Ore., is urging the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission and the Federal Trade Commission to open investigations into the February cyberattack on UnitedHealth Group's Change Healthcare unit and asking the agencies to hold the company's CEO and board responsible.
A recent White House memo on bolstering the security and resiliency of critical infrastructure sectors calls for comprehensive mapping and risk assessment of all critical components and interdependencies within the healthcare ecosystem, said Greg Garcia of the Healthcare Sector Coordinating Council.
Attorneys Say Hospital Is Reneging on Paying Up in Case Involving Baby's DeathSix weeks after an Alabama hospital settled the first-ever death claim related to a ransomware attack, attorneys representing the mother of the baby who died - allegedly from birth complications related to the 2019 incident - say the hospital hasn't paid up and are asking the court to intervene.
His hospital employer also hit with lawsuit for not stepping in sooner In an ongoing civil lawsuit, an IT worker is accused of launching a "destructive cyber campaign of hate and revenge" against a police officer and his family after being issued a ticket for jaywalking.…
The Breach Notice Raises the Question of Whether Sav-Rx Paid a RansomA Nebraska firm that provides medication benefits management and pharmacy services is notifying more than 2.8 million individuals of an October 2023 hacking incident involving the potential theft of their personal information, including Social Security numbers. Did the company pay a ransom?
Medical Staff Says Resorting to Manual, Paper Charting Is Posing Risks to PatientsA local union representing medical professionals at an Ascension hospital in Michigan is demanding the organization take actions to protect patient safety in the wake of a cyberattack that took out electronic health records, forcing clinicians to use manual processes and paper charts.
In evolving smarter security, open source is the missing link Opinion Some ideas work better than others. Take DARPA, the US Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency. Launched by US President Dwight Eisenhower in 1957 response to Sputnik, its job is to create and test concepts that may be useful in thwarting enemies. Along the way, it's helped make happen GPS, weather satellites, PC technology, and something called the internet.…