Cyber Attacks on Healthcare are Not Slowing Down

If you thought the theme of cyberattacks on hospitals had slowed, think again. Hospital cyber attacks are alive and well, with cybercriminals finding new ways to hack systems even after repeated attempts to ward them off.

The most recent major healthcare cyberattack affected hospitals and healthcare in five different states. What did the breach entail, and what can we learn from it? Let’s take a look.

Healthcare’s Most Recent Cyber Attack

The most recent attempt to target the healthcare industry affected hospitals and clinics in several states. The attack disrupted computer systems, forcing some emergency rooms to shut down and ambulances to be rerouted to other hospitals.

The attack follows a long history of targeting the healthcare industry – a trend that has rarely shown signs of slowing as stakes are high and money is to be made — a cybercriminal’s ideal world.

The recovery process for hospitals typically takes several weeks. In the meantime, they are forced to revert to paper systems and non-automatic equipment that massively affects productivity and thus negatively affects patient treatment. Relying on manual methods instead of automation slows the hospital’s system, lowering efficiency and allowing for fewer patients to be treated. 

Why Do Attacks on Healthcare Systems Matter? 

The answer is simple. Attacks on healthcare systems are simply  unethical. Not only are they an attack on personal identification information and money, but attacks on healthcare are threat-to-life crimes. They risk not only the safety of current patients in the hospital but the entire community that seeks to serve sick patients. Everything from ambulances and the emergency department to labs and operating rooms are negatively affected, directly affecting patient outcomes. 

Preventative Cybersecurity for Healthcare: Why It Matters

As an IT provider for healthcare practices and professionals in the Greater Phoenix Area, we understand the importance of preventative cybersecurity for the healthcare industry.

First, the stakes are high. massive amount of personal identification information held in patient records and the life risk of patient treatment are a great opportunity for cybercriminals.

Second, there’s the risk of HIPAA non-compliance. We wrote a blog about how we make HIPAA compliance happen for our clients. While no organization, healthcare industry or otherwise, wants to be subject to a cyber attack, the stakes are higher for healthcare organizations because of HIPAA compliance requirements. 

Many smaller healthcare clinics think certain aspects of HIPAA don’t apply to them or don’t fully understand the steps they need to take from a cybersecurity perspective to maintain compliance. Our goal at PK Tech is to simplify the process and help you maintain compliance always – no exceptions. As business associates to a number of healthcare clinics in the Greater Phoenix Area, we take this responsibility seriously, with insurance to back us up.

Are you a small or medium-sized healthcare clinic or organization looking for IT support or interested in better understanding the HIPAA compliance regulations related to your practice? PK Tech can help. Get in touch with a team member with a free 15-minute complimentary call.