Cyber security in healthcare

Healthcare Industry has dramatically transformed over the last few years and especially during the COVID-19 era. Several breakthrough innovations in the healthcare industry have led to improvements in patient care, efficiencies from administration. A wide range of innovations have been implemented by healthcare providers to enhance patient experience, predict clinical outcomes, telehealth, remote patient monitoring, and AI-based diagnostics. Through the development of remote/online medical consultations, it is now possible to receive quality medical consultations remotely, thus eliminating geographical barriers to accessing medical care. Wearable health devices are now capable of maintaining a record of vital signs, providing real-time information regarding potential health problems and suggesting possible diagnostics.

As healthcare embraces digital, web, and cloud-based technologies, innovations in healthcare have led to improved diagnostics, personalized treatment plans, and more efficient workflows through the integration of technology. However, this transformation comes with its own set of challenges – an increased susceptibility to cyberattacks, data breaches, and fraud.

A large amount of sensitive data is being processed digitally and stored in the healthcare industry, making it an appealing target due to its sensitivity. Understanding cyber security challenges in healthcare goes beyond financial losses and directly affects patient care and organizational integrity patient data, vital for healthcare, is a prime target for cyber threats.

–According to HIPAA in 2022 the healthcare industry suffered a financial loss of $25 billion over the preceding two years. Additionally, the average cost of a healthcare data breach in 2023 was nearly $11 million, an 8% increase from the previous year. These statistics underscore the urgency for proactive cyber security measures.

The multifaceted nature of healthcare systems, incorporating operational, clinical, and information technology layers, creates a complex environment. 

Beyond hospitals, insurance providers are vulnerable, housing vast medical records, and the repercussions extend to medical research and pharmaceuticals, impeding advancements in healthcare. Notably, the exposure of 40 million healthcare records in the first half of 2023 revealed that nearly 50% resulted from attacks targeting third-party business associates, emphasizing the far-reaching consequences of cyber security threats in the healthcare sector as reported in Healthcare Dive.

Security Assurance - A High Priority for Healthcare Providers

In the digital healthcare ecosystem, several key components present vulnerabilities, including Electronic Health Record (EHR) Systems, Medical Devices, Payment Systems, Websites and Portals, Shadow IT, Medical Imaging Devices, and Digital Appointment Scheduling Systems. Each of these elements poses unique challenges and requires tailored cyber security approaches.

To mitigate these risks, healthcare organizations must prioritize mature vulnerability management strategies. This includes the identification, assessment, categorization, prioritization, remediation, and mitigation of vulnerabilities. The approach necessitates comprehensive cyber security strategies well captured in the SHIELD framework.

Secure The Ecosystem: Extremely high connectedness of the Healthcare ecosystem of hospitals, payers, providers, drug companies, etc., creates vulnerability & potential threats. Each Healthcare ecosystem player needs to go beyond defense at depth of their perimeters but assess the network of connections through well-defined strategies. This    needs effective protocols for data protection to ensure encryption of any patient information and its safe keeping. These include strong authentication methods, access controls implementation, regular updating, and patching of software.

Holistic Risk Management Plan: Proactively assess risks for necessary mitigations to be taken, through a process of identifying potential vulnerabilities and threats. This involves device management & decommissioning, service contracts & SLAs with manufacturers, patient data generated by practitioners, etc.

Incident Response Plan:  Healthcare organizations must have a robust response plan for any breaches and possible cyber-attacks thus minimizing their impact on normal operations. This will involve formulating strict regulations that govern medical records regarding collection, storage and use among other aspects while still ensuring compliance with legalities or rules governing this field.

Employee Training and Awareness: Like several industries Healthcare industry faces dearth of talent and understanding of the associated risks. Have regular training sessions for healthcare provider employees on best practices in cyber security and about the significance of safeguarding sensitive data to develop a culture of security awareness within the organization. 

Legal Compliance and Monitoring: Data from Healthcare gets distributed across geos and underlying information is leveraged within the value chain elements such as drug discovery, biomedical research & development, medical examinations, remote diagnostics, etc. Enterprises need effective compliance with applicable regulations, policies and standards based on how & where the information is accessed. It’s important to understand various laws of the land to operate with high compliance. 

Data Privacy & Governance: Reports indicate that value of health record can be worth as much as $1000 on dark web against $5 for Credit Card number. Healthcare Ecosystem should establish effective protocols for data privacy, protection & encryption of any patient information. These include strong authentication methods, access controls implementation, regular updating, and patching of software. Establish stringent regulations for medical record management, collaborating with healthcare organizations and cyber security experts to share knowledge and tactics for safeguarding AI systems while ensuring legal compliance.

As healthcare continues its digital evolution, robust cyber security is no longer just a compliance; it is an ethical necessity.  The call for robust cyber security measures echoes louder than ever. The industry must rise to the challenge, adopting proactive SHIELD strategies to ensure not only the security of patient information but also the continuity of quality care in an increasingly digitized landscape.

Author: Pradeep Yadlapati, President APAC SBU and India country Head, Innova Solutions