As a healthcare organization, you are probably familiar with the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act(HIPAA) and how it indicates how you should protect your patient’s private data. Being HIPAA compliant means your organization takes patient data protection seriously, but are these steps enough to keep your data protected in times of evolving ransomware? Continue reading to learn more about HIPAA compliance in the age of cybersecurity and how your organization can offer patients the best protection possible.
Healthcare Data is an Attractive Target for Cybercriminals
Healthcare data breaches hit an all-time high in 2021 and they are only expected to keep growing. Healthcare organizations are an attractive target for cybercriminals because this industry handles massive amounts of shared data across multiple devices. Private patient information is valuable to hackers, as this opens up opportunities for stealing patient identities. Some other reasons that makes the healthcare industry so attractive for cybercriminals are:
- Medical devices can be an easy entry point
- Patient data is accessed from different locations, including remotely
- Healthcare information needs to be open and shareable to those who treat patients
- Outdated technology puts healthcare organizations more at risk
No matter what size organization you are, all healthcare organizations are at risk for cyberattacks due to the large amounts of data they share and hold. Implementing new technology can be time consuming and costly for an organization, leaving many healthcare offices with outdated technology. With outdated technology, these organizations will face harsher consequences in the event of a cyberattack. In many healthcare organizations, there is not enough in-depth training regarding cyber security best practices, leaving your employees more exposed to cybersecurity risks.
HIPAA Security Guidelines
How do the HIPAA Security guidelines interact with your cybersecurity protection? Here’s some facts you should know about HIPAA Security Guidelines:
- The HIPAA Security Rule ensures protected health information (PHI) is properly stored, protecting patients from data breaches
- HIPAA Security guidelines implement 3 key safeguards:
- Physical Safeguards
Includes alarm systems, physical locks for important areas holding PHI, and security systems
- Technical Safeguards
Includes firewalls, data encryption, and data backup
- Administrative Safeguards
Includes training staff members and having official procedures and policies in place regarding data security
HIPAA Security Guidelines provide a good start against cyberattacks, but these guidelines do not account for the evolution that the ransomware industry has seen over the past few years. It is hard to constantly stay up to date with evolving ransomware attacks, so many healthcare organizations have been implementing better cybersecurity protection.
How Advanced Cybersecurity and HIPAA Compliance Protects You
As hackers learn new ways to reach your private data, you may be realizing that your organization needs a better suit of armor than the basic protections mandated by the HIPAA Security Guidelines. Deploying advanced cybersecurity controls will strengthen your organization’s armor against hackers, making it harder for ransomware to affect your patient’s private data.
Advanced cybersecurity can offer your organization:
- Next Generation End Point Protection
- Full Disc Encryption
- Multi-factor Authentication
- Automated Patch Management
- Regular Risk Assessments
Healthcare organizations who implement advanced cybersecurity controls have better protection against cyberattacks than organizations who only rely on the cyber protection that HIPAA guidelines require. The days of simply using antivirus software are over, seeing the quick evolution in ransomware attacks over the past few years. Healthcare organizations are one of the top targets for ransomware, so many organizations rely on advanced cybersecurity services to better protect their patient data. Patients are more willing to come back to an organization that they confidently feel protects their data. With the evolving threats in ransomware, it is now more important than ever for healthcare organizations to implement advanced cybersecurity.
Stay Secure with Kyber Security
As the cyber threat landscape constantly evolves, your security measures should be one step ahead. Kyber Security has dedicated professionals experienced in protecting your organization from ever increasing cyber threats. We will work tirelessly to keep your company protected from cyber-attacks.
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