Cybersecurity

The digital security of healthcare institutions and data is a growing concern, with an increasing number of cyberattacks each year against healthcare systems, which are seen as easy targets. Cyber attacks often use ransomware to target personal health information, patient data and medical devices to cut off access to the data until a ransom is payed to the hacker. Cybercriminals have become more sophisticated, using malware, ransomware and spyware to attack outdated and vulnerable systems and software. Due to the interconnected nature of hospital IT systems today, the weakest link can be older web-enabled medical devices, including clinical and non-clinical systems. Employees are also a major target of attacks via malicious e-mails that prompt them to open attachments that then download malware onto the hospital's IT system.

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1 in 3 healthcare organizations have experienced a cyberattack

A survey conducted by cybersecurity provider Imperva has found that more than one in three healthcare organizations have experienced a cyberattack within the last year, while one in 10 have paid a ransom.

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Black Book: Fortified Health top cybersecurity provider for medical devices

Black Book Market Research, a healthcare and public opinion research company, has named Fortified Health Security as the top cybersecurity service vendor in the "medical device and internet of things" category.

Organizations are trying to improve security, but employees remain an obstacle

While organizations have made investments into data security tools, employees remain a major barrier to achieving full privacy, according to a survey commissioned by Biscom.

Serial killer case raises concerns about privacy, security with DNA tests

In solving a cold case involving a serial rapist and murderer who terrified Northern California for decades, police used a novel approach to track down the killer. Detectives accessed open-source genetic data to locate relatives of a person whose genetic material was collected at a crime scene.

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5 usability issues in EHRs that may harm patients

While electronic health records (EHRs) have improved the safety and quality of patient health information, the shift from paper to digital interfaces has introduced a new set of barriers that may contribute to patient harm.

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Lacking trust in security, privacy reduces patient trust in health IT

Privacy and security concerns are linked to reduced patient access of health records and trust in health information technology (HIT). Findings were published April 11 in the Journal of Medical Internet Research.

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Healthcare cybersecurity claims represent 28% of total breach costs

Healthcare cybersecurity insurance claims in 2017 made up 17 percent of total claims—but accounted for 28 percent of costs related to breaches, roughly $65 million of a total $229 million, according to the 2017 Cyber Claims Study by NetDiligence.

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Facebook ends project to share data with healthcare orgs, hospitals

Facebook has been in the news lately, having to explain how millions of users' data have been misused. Now it has announced an end to plans to share user data with several major U.S. hospitals and organizations.

Around the web

Cardiovascular devices are more likely to be in a Class I recall than any other device type. The FDA's approval process appears to be at least partially responsible, though the agency is working to make some serious changes. We spoke to a researcher who has been tracking these data for years to learn more. 

Updated compensation data includes good news for multiple subspecialties. The new report also examines private equity's impact on employment models and how much male cardiologists earn compared to females.

When drugs are on the FDA’s shortage list, outsourcing facilities can produce their own compounded versions. When the FDA removed tirzepatide from that list with no warning, it created a considerable amount of chaos both behind the scenes and in pharmacies all over the country. 

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