October is Cybersecurity Month, so what better time to point out that in the first half of 2024, the number of cyber attacks in healthcare grew exponentially. That’s concerning for a variety of reasons, including the fact that the average cost per breach is $9.77 million.
Why are healthcare organizations so vulnerable? Simply put, everything about healthcare data and systems adds levels of sophistication that invite bad actors and make the work of those bad actors easier than in other sectors.
To counter the sophistication of today’s cyber threats, healthcare systems need their own sophisticated cybersecurity efforts. A good place to start is to inventory and understand your organization’s vulnerability to cybersecurity threats.
Complex and Interconnected Ecosystem
Healthcare organizations operate complex networks that include a range of internal IT systems tied to medical equipment. Furthermore, third-party vendors, referral partners, and others have access to this infrastructure.
Data Sensitivity and Volume
Highly sensitive patient information that is subject to strict privacy regulations makes healthcare organizations attractive targets for cybercriminals. Bad actors translate this sensitivity into ransom opportunities.
Legacy Systems
Legacy systems tend to be outdated and difficult to secure. These systems are rarely maintained and quickly drift apart from the security measures protecting newer, active data.
Limited Resources and Expertise
Many healthcare organizations, especially smaller hospitals and clinics, may lack the financial resources and in-house cybersecurity expertise needed to implement and maintain advanced security measures. Also, their limited understanding of the risk could contribute to a lack of funding, lack of tools, and lack of skills.
Focus on Compliance Over Security
Healthcare organizations often are driven by regulatory compliance rather than proactive cybersecurity measures. This is reflected in ticking off compliance boxes that often fail to address deeper, more sophisticated threats.
Increased Attack Surface Due to Remote Care
The rise of telemedicine and remote care has expanded the attack surface significantly to include The Internet of Things.
Operational Constraints
The operational realities of healthcare often force organizations to prioritize continuous availability over security, which leaves them vulnerable. The lack of priority stems from an inability to monetize the risk. We have helped many organizations find an algorithm to identify and quantify the costs of risks.
Insufficient Incident Response
Traditional cybersecurity focuses more on compliance than response and recovery. This is a serious concern in all organizations, even those that have been previously hit with an attack.
Innovative Favors Proactive Measures to Stop Cybersecurity Attacks
Even with these vulnerabilities, there is a productive way forward by using a sophisticated cybersecurity process that includes our proactive, strategic, and comprehensive solutions. Our vCISO services are designed to deliver expert-level guidance derived from military standard protocols, ensuring that healthcare organizations not only meet regulatory requirements but also adopt a proactive approach to defending against sophisticated cyber threats.
Our solution starts with a thorough assessment of your current security situation. From there, we develop customized strategies tailored to your specific needs, identifying vulnerabilities and providing detailed, actionable advice to secure your organization. Our service ensures you have the leadership required to make informed, strategic cybersecurity decisions at an elevated level from traditional approaches.
While Innovative cannot guarantee complete protection from a cybersecurity attack, we can indeed decrease the threat.
