The state of cybersecurity and cyber threats in healthcare organizations is becoming serious. Year after year, this industry continues to be one of the most heavily targeted. But as rising costs and brain drain place additional pressure on providers, security measures are not necessarily keeping up. The result? Healthcare organizations are becoming increasingly vulnerable to cyber-attacks, data breaches, and compliance penalties.
The good news is that you don’t need to spend a fortune to protect your organization. A good understanding of the threats you’re most likely to face – and how to target them – will go a long way.
The Top 5 Cybersecurity Threats in Healthcare
1. Ransomware Attacks
Ransomware has been a top threat for almost two decades, and it isn’t going to disappear anytime soon. During these attacks, malicious actors encrypt sensitive data or lock down critical systems. They then demand payment in return for restoration. Ransomware is highly effective against healthcare organizations, as any operational delay can completely halt patient care, potentially endangering lives.
2. Phishing Scams
Phishing is a type of social engineering attack (a threat which utilizes human psychology, rather than technological tools). Scammers reach out pretending to be a trusted entity, such as a vendor or employer, and then ask for information or convince victims to install malicious programs. These work because healthcare staff are often exhausted, overworked, and untrained in cybersecurity. They are not likely to notice a convincing phishing scam before it’s too late.
3. Insider Threats
Whether malicious or accidental, your own employees can end up compromising organizational security. This can be as simple as a staff member unintentionally leaving a laptop logged in for anyone to access. These incidents are particularly difficult to detect and prevent, as they can occur at any time and without anyone’s knowledge.
4. Unsecured Medical Devices
Modern technology is drastically improving the quality of patient care – but it is also introducing additional risk. Devices such as pacemakers, insulin pumps, and imaging equipment are difficult to secure and can become an easy attack vector.
5. Supply Chain Attacks
Healthcare providers often rely on third-party vendors for specialized equipment, programs, and services. This leaves them vulnerable to supply chain attacks, where threat actors first breach a secondary company and then use them to gain access to their real target. When you hear in the news about a major breach that impacted dozens of businesses at once, this is usually a supply chain attack in action.
Prevention and Mitigation Strategies
Now that you understand how these attacks impact the healthcare sector, it’s time to learn some strategies that can protect you from them. The options listed here are cost-effective and designed to target these common threats:
Conduct Regular Risk Assessments
At least once per year, audit your IT environment for any security gaps. This simple step will uncover vulnerabilities before threat actors have the opportunity to exploit them. It also creates a papertrail you can use to fight for more security funding. This is one of the most effective things you can do to stop cyber-attacks.
Segment Networks
Since many healthcare devices cannot be secured, you will need to focus on limiting the damage a compromised one can cause. Network segmentation involves breaking it down into smaller pieces (either digitally or using physical routers), so that each segment can be disconnected at a moment’s notice. This will prevent one device from causing an organization-wide breach.
Invest in Employee Training
All employees should undergo at least basic phishing recognition training. This makes them significantly less likely to fall for a scam, reducing your risk of both social engineering and insider threat attacks. Ideally, comprehensive security training should take place at least once a year, supported with smaller sessions throughout.
Limit Access Based on Role
This strategy costs nothing and will make a big difference to your security posture. Instead of granting all employees access to all data and systems, you simply restrict it based on role. Anyone who does not need access doesn’t get it. By doing this, you make it much harder for threat actors to cause damage using a compromised account.
Implement Zero Trust
Zero Trust architecture is another method that does not incur any financial cost and yet has an enormous impact. The basic principle here is “Never trust, always verify”. In other words, every access attempt is considered a potential threat and double-checked, regardless of how legitimate it appears to be.
Read more: Protecting ePHI
Patch and Update Systems Promptly
System updates often contain important security patches. Installing these promptly, rather than procrastinating, can prevent a large number of attacks from taking place.
Develop a Breach Response Plan
A detailed incident response and disaster recovery plan protects your organization in the event that a breach does occur. It helps you mitigate damage and return to normal operations faster. Remember to test your plan thoroughly, and keep multiple copies in locations that can be easily accessed.
Prevent Fines, Theft, and Reputational Damage
For the healthcare industry, security risks are more than an inconvenience. They have the ability to cause severe harm, potentially even limiting your ability to grow and succeed in the future. But there are things you can do to prevent this. By understanding the threats you’re most likely to face, reducing the attack surface, and implementing careful risk management procedures, you lower your risk of experiencing an attack and protect sensitive patient records.
Strong cybersecurity doesn’t just prevent operational disruptions – it also brings you into closer alignment with data protection regulations such as HIPAA. If you’d like more information, read about some compliance best practices.
FAQ
Why is Healthcare A Popular Target for Cyber-Attacks?
Healthcare is a popular target for cyber-attacks due to highly sensitive data, weak security, and a large attack surface. These factors make it a low-risk, high-reward target.
What Are the Top Cybersecurity Threats in Healthcare?
The top 5 cybersecurity threats in healthcare are ransomware, phishing scams, insider threats, unsecured medical devices, and supply chain attacks.
What Are Some Cybersecurity Threats in Healthcare Prevention and Mitigation Strategies?
Some easy prevention and mitigation strategies to secure healthcare systems include network segmentation, employee training, role-based access controls, Zero Trust architecture, and the creation of a disaster recovery plan.
Are There Other Benefits of Implementing Stronger Security?
There are many benefits of improving your security posture. Aside from preventing cyber-attacks, it also brings you into alignment with laws designed to protect electronic health records. This helps you avoid penalties and audits.