--- title: "Why Is Cybersecurity So Important to the Healthcare Industry?" url: "https://thecybersecurityplace.com/why-is-cybersecurity-so-important-to-the-healthcare-industry/" date: "2020-05-12T00:24:28+00:00" section: "Expert Articles" tags: - "BYOD" - "Cyber Attack" - "Cyber Criminals" - "Cyber Security" - "Cyber Threats" - "Cyber Vulnerabilities" - "data Breaches" - "Digital Security" - "Healthcare" - "Information Security" - "Internet Security" source: "linkedin.com" source_url: "https://www.linkedin.com/in/giladdavidmaayan/" --- # Why Is Cybersecurity So Important to the Healthcare Industry? May 12, 2020 · Reported by linkedin.com ![](https://thecybersecurityplace.com/portadas/2020/why-is-cybersecurity-so-important-to-the-healthcare-industry.jpg) > By Gilad David Maayan, Technology writer of AgileSEO , > > The healthcare industry heavily relies on technology. This includes hardware equipment that can help treat patients, and systems that send, retrieve, and store data. Technology and digital information makes the healthcare industry much more efficient. However, too much reliance on technology, without proper cybersecurity, can put the data and healy of patients at risk. > > 32% of healthcare organizations said that connected medical devices are their top security concern. 81% of healthcare businesses reported a cyber attack within the span of two years. However, an attack doesn’t have to end badly. Efficient cybersecurity measures can reduce the risk levels during attacks. > > Connected medical devices > > Many medical devices today are connected to local networks or even the public Internet. US hospitals currently have 10-15 connected devices per bed. Large hospitals can have as many as 50,000 connected medical devices . Many implanted devices, like pacemakers, are now connected to enable the medical staff to fine tune their operations without invasive procedures. > > However, medical devices are inherently vulnerable to cyber threats, since they were not built with security in mind. The code of these devices has not undergone security review, they have weak authentication, and are typically based on outdated or unpatched operating systems. > > Attackers can easily penetrate these devices to steal the sensitive medical data they store. These vulnerable devices can also be entry points to an entire hospital network, and risk the life of patients. > > Inefficient care > > In the past, healthcare professionals had to spend hours on paperwork instead of treating their patients. As a result, patients did not get the necessary care, regardless of how hard healthcare professionals worked. > > Cybersecurity enables healthcare professionals to store sensitive patient data in databases and networks without worrying about data breaches. Physicians can focus more on their patients when they can quickly retrieve the data they need. This is especially important when the population is growing so fast that even an efficient industry cannot keep up. The healthcare industry can also save money thanks to the much more efficient service it provides. > > Costly data breaches > > Cybercriminals target healthcare organizations because they store valuable information like Protected Health Information (PHI), social security numbers, intellectual property related to medical research, and credit card and bank account numbers. > > Cybersecurity can help prevent patient information leakage in the healthcare industry. Leakage of healthcare documents can lead to lawsuits, and even shut down a healthcare facility. > > Healthcare organizations face a growing number of cyber security threats. However, critical security measures, like patching and updating legacy systems, may not be available to them. The following best practices can help hospitals protect their data. > > Establish a security culture > > Most healthcare professionals, regardless of their level of education or IT skills, believe that they will never place patient information at risk. They think that this can only happen to other people. Therefore, healthcare organizations need to raise the awareness of potential security threats. Protecting patients through good information security practices should be equally important as sanitary practices. > > Some obvious steps you must take to establish a security culture in your organization include: > > Leverage Security Operation Centers > > A security operation center (SOC) monitors network activity via tools like Security Information and Event management (SIEM). SOC analysts can identify whether an anomaly is malicious or not, and quickly respond to malicious behaviour. Network visibility enables you to see all the devices in your network and their status. In addition, you can quarantine devices that have out of date virus definitions or unauthorized software installed. > > Most healthcare organizations use outdated operating systems and software and install basic anti-virus on computers. Attackers can easily gain access to the network and cause damage to critical equipment. This can be done with attacks like social engineering and Advanced Persistent Threats (APT). SOC analysts, who monitor the network around the clock, can react immediately to any kind of incident. > > Create bring your own device (BYOD) policies > > Devices like laptops, smartphones, and portable storage media make electronic health records (EHR) vulnerable to breaches. Medical devices, for example, release electromagnetic interference that can corrupt information stored on mobile devices. > > Small healthcare businesses need to have a proper documentation of the BYOD policy. This policy needs to prioritize security checks and preventive measures. You should include all network connected devices, including laptops, mobile phones, fitness trackers and smartwatches. > > BYOD can cause security issues. Healthcare professionals that use mobile devices to access electronic health data can unintentionally view unauthorized information and put sensitive information at risk. To avoid these risks, organizations must secure all mobile devices with strong authentication and access controls. > > Control access to electronic health information > > Setting up a password to your EHR system is not enough. You should have an additional layer of protection to prevent unauthorized access. Every staff member within a healthcare organization has some specified role. Organizations should grant access for each role based on their specific needs in the EHR system. > > Your access control system should be built-in within a particular application or used by the operating system or both. This can prevent access to EHR systems from staff members that don’t have permission. > > Hospitals and other organizations in the healthcare industry are under severe threat of cyber attack. A major problem is the proliferation of connected medical devices. Connected devices are not secure by design and are difficult to lock down with traditional security approaches. Hopefully, the best practices in this article can help explain how hospitals can achieve effective threat protection > > Author Bio: Gilad David Maayan > > Gilad David Maayan is a technology writer who has worked with over 150 technology companies including SAP, Imperva, Samsung NEXT, NetApp and Ixia, producing technical and thought leadership content that elucidates technical solutions for developers and IT leadership. Today he heads Agile SEO , the leading marketing agency in the technology industry. > > LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/giladdavidmaayan/ [Read the full article at linkedin.com](https://www.linkedin.com/in/giladdavidmaayan/) **Tags:** [BYOD](https://thecybersecurityplace.com/tag/byod/) · [Cyber Attack](https://thecybersecurityplace.com/tag/cyber-attack/) · [Cyber Criminals](https://thecybersecurityplace.com/tag/cyber-criminals/) · [Cyber Security](https://thecybersecurityplace.com/tag/cyber-security/) · [Cyber Threats](https://thecybersecurityplace.com/tag/cyber-threats/) · [Cyber Vulnerabilities](https://thecybersecurityplace.com/tag/cyber-vulnerabilities/) · [data Breaches](https://thecybersecurityplace.com/tag/data-breaches/) · [Digital Security](https://thecybersecurityplace.com/tag/digital-security/) · [Healthcare](https://thecybersecurityplace.com/tag/healthcare/) · [Information Security](https://thecybersecurityplace.com/tag/information-security/) · [Internet Security](https://thecybersecurityplace.com/tag/internet-security/)