Healthcare Cybersecurity is something we take very seriously. Our experts have helped clients in the public and private sectors for many years. In the wake of the pandemic, cyber-attacks escalated across the board. Many industries were targeted with higher intensity – including healthcare. Today we look at this in more detail.
Cybersecurity, a crucial element for any organisation
According to this article from IT Governance, 2.3 billion records were breached last month. A ransomware attack against cloud service provider Accellion affected dozens of organisations. In the UK, Foxtons Estate Agency, Oxford University and Npower were all victims of breaches.
High-volume data breaches in February 2021 included:
- 102.8 million records from Brazilian phone providers Vivo & Claro
- 9 million from Indian streaming platform, Zee5
- 3 million records from US-based car dealership, DriveSure
The numbers are staggering and show just how vital it is to implement a robust security framework in order to avoid an incident.
Top Tips to protect your organisation
Cultivate a general awareness of cybersecurity procedures and controls so that everyone is on the same page. You must also assume that your cyber risk levels are always high, ensuring that this is reflected in your overall risk-management strategy. Where possible, add a full time person in a position of authority to lead your security efforts, which will also impact upon the way they are viewed.
Base your policies and procedures around patient safety so that your teams see themselves as patient guardians. Educate and train everyone on a regular basis and conduct frequent risk reviews to ensure your standards are kept high.
Cybersecurity, more important for healthcare now than ever before
Cybersecurity threats against healthcare are constantly evolving. Cyber-attacks against them are particularly high in number as they possess large volumes of particularly sensitive data. Patients’ protected health information (PHI), personally identifying information (PII) and financial information are just a few examples.
In the post-COVID world, healthcare organisations have experienced an even greater level of targeting. It is therefore vital that they view cybersecurity holistically. It is not solely the responsibility of their IT teams. This article from the AHA Center for Health Innovation offers a particularly interesting take.
How can CRIBB help?
The experts here at CRIBB Cyber Security have a stance in line with AHA because we believe cybersecurity awareness across an entire organisation is crucial. All departments must be aligned, working together to ensure that risks are mitigated. Our experience in healthcare spans years and we are proud to have created a suite of products and solutions designed to help. For more information, contact us today.