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 Cybercriminals have become more sophisticated, using malware, ransomware and spyware to attack outdated and vulnerable systems and software.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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Ascension confirms ransomware caused service shutdowns, ambulance diversions

Emergency services are back up and running, but many patients will need to reschedule tests and treatments while systems at Ascension remain partially offline.

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Six hospital groups urge UnitedHealth to take responsibility for Change Healthcare hack notifications

In a public letter, the groups are urging UnitedHealth Group to announce a timeline for notifying patients about what personal data was stolen in the breach of Change Healthcare's systems.

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Ascension experiences disruption of operations after 'cybersecurity event'

A third-party security firm has been brought in to assess what systems were accessed and what data, if any, was taken.

doctor in handcuffs after being arrested

AMA says Change Healthcare breach is crippling independent practices

A survey of physicians by the American Medical Association reveals that many practices are still losing revenue and struggling to make payroll as a result of the Change Healthcare hack.

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Breached Change Healthcare server lacked multifactor authentication, UnitedHealth CEO admits

UnitedHealth CEO Andrew Witty told the Senate Finance Committee that systems have been rebuilt “from scratch” in light of the oversight.

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Kaiser Permanente exposed data on 13.4 million members to tech companies

Tracking technologies sent patient information to advertisers such as Microsoft, Google and Meta.

Hackers were inside Change Healthcare’s systems 9 days before attack

UnitedHealth Group confirms hackers have personal data on “a substantial proportion of people in America."

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Atrium Health sued for violating patient privacy, sharing data with Facebook and Google

In a court filing, the plaintiffs claim Atrium Health used Meta's Pixel code on its website, resulting in patients receiving targeted ads.

Around the web

The American College of Cardiology has sent a letter to HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. that outlines some of the organization’s central priorities and concerns. 

One product is being pulled from the market, and the other is receiving updated instructions for use.

If the Trump administration continues taking a laissez-faire stance toward AI—including AI used in healthcare—why not let the states go it alone on regulating the technology?