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 Cybercriminals have become more sophisticated, using malware, ransomware and spyware to attack outdated and vulnerable systems and software.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.

Social network sites improve communication between patients, providers—but put data at risk

Social network sites (SNSs) facilitate efficient communication between healthcare professionals but are limited in protecting data, according to a study published in the Journal of Medical Internet Research.

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MyFitnessPal app experiences breach of 150M accounts

The popular diet and fitness application MyFitnessPal, purchased by Under Armour in 2015, has experienced a breach of security were 150 million accounts had their data stolen.

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1 CISO's 5 pillars of an effective cybersecurity program

In a March 8 session at HIMSS 2018 in Las Vegas, Kevin Charest, chief information security officer of the Health Care Service Corporation (HCSC), outlined the five pillars of its cybersecurity program.

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Keeping employees engaged could reduce data breaches

The healthcare industry has ground to cover in the field of cybersecurity. While health systems are investing time and money in technological solutions, an article in the Harvard Business Review argues the solution lies in the human element of security.

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Report: 58% healthcare cybersecurity breaches involve insiders; 27% result from paper records

According to the 2018 Protected Health Information Data Breach Report (PHIDBR) from Verizon, cybersecurity in healthcare falls behind other industries in being able to protect personal information.

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Google announces blockchain development

Google has now announced it is developing blockchain solutions aimed at ensuring the safety of its cloud systems.

Study finds 2K documents with patient info dumped in recycling bins at hospitals

Records containing personal health information (PHI) and personally identifiable information (PII) were found in the recycling at five different hospitals, according to a study published March 20 in JAMA.

Timicoin To Report at HIMSS Conference March 5-9 How Its Blockchain Technology Is Like a Brigade of Green Beret Protecting Medical Records From Ransomware Attacks

The Co-Founder and Managing Director of Timicoin (www.Timicoin.io), to report how his blockchain technology can be ransomware's worst enemy if it ever attempts to attack medical records.

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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