Healthcare more susceptible to cyberattacks than other industries
Healthcare entities experience 340 percent more hacking and other privacy attacks, according to a report from Raytheon|Websense Security Labs.
The healthcare sector also is 400 percent more likely to be impacted by advanced malware attacks and 74 percent more likely to be impacted by phishing schemes, according to the report.
Despite these figures, many healthcare organizations lack the administrative, technical or organizational skills necessary to detect, mitigate and prevent cyberattacks. CIOs emphasize IT as critical to helping achieve patient care goals, but an overwhelming majority are stymied by a lack of budget and resources.
Digital and connected diagnostic and screening systems are expected to reach more than 40 percent global penetration by 2020 and add another layer of complexity, according to the report. Raytheon|Websense experts estimate that up to 75 percent of hospital network traffic goes unmonitored by security solutions out of fear that improperly configured security measures or alarming false positives could dramatically increase the risk to patient health or well-being.
Access the complete report.
Editor
Editor Beth earned a bachelor’s degree in journalism and master’s in health communication. She has worked in hospital, academic and publishing settings over the past 20 years. Beth joined TriMed in 2005, as editor of CMIO and Clinical Innovation + Technology. When not covering all things related to health IT, she spends time with her husband and three children.