Downtime, whether planned or unplanned, puts an incredible amount of stress on healthcare organizations. It’s a balancing act to provide the best patient care while systems are being restored, all while keeping patient information secure. Unfortunately, with the increase of ransomware in the healthcare industry, unplanned downtime is becoming a more common threat and adds even more complexity to the mix.
Looking back on 2021, healthcare organizations have been pushed to their technological limit. Increased patient demand and staffing shortages have forced nurses, physicians, pharmacists, and lab technicians to look to the digital space to increase efficiency, provide adequate care, and protect PHI data. As healthcare organizations adopt a more digital approach, what does this mean for the future of healthcare? Let’s look at the top trends that I predict are here to stay.
During our second iatricSystems Fall Exchange, we brought together industry leaders and healthcare organizations to discuss today’s challenges, including the current threat landscape and how to protect your organization from internal and external threats.
When you think of October, you likely think about spooky season. Ghosts, witches, black cats, and monsters galore. But in the world of technology, there’s not much scarier than the overwhelming gloom of a potential cyber threat. So, it makes sense that Cybersecurity Awareness Month would also take place in October. Instead of sending shivers through your spine with scary stories of breaches and ransomware threats, we’ll skip to the good part. We’re here to help you #BeCyberSmart by offering actionable advice and tips you can use to improve and prioritize your cybersecurity efforts right now.
At the beginning of the pandemic, hospitals had to jump into action to find safer ways to deliver patient care without putting patients at risk of contracting COVID-19 in doctors’ offices and hospitals. The solution was telehealth, and it was widely adopted very quickly. A 2020 consumer survey found that the number of people who have used telehealth doubled during the pandemic, from 39.4 percent pre-COVID-19 to 79.5 percent post-quarantine.
A few weeks ago, the largest global ransomware attack on record occurred, and cyber criminals demanded $70 million in ransoms. While this attack targeted the large-scale global software company, Kaseya, it impacted between 800 and 1,500 businesses of various sizes and industries. The hacker group behind the attack also previously targeted and successfully breached the Las Vegas-based University Medical Center in late June of this year.
It's no surprise to me that healthcare is now a prime target of cyber-criminals using ransomware to extort money. They want to go after a business that cannot function without access to its data and that's definitely healthcare. As you can imagine, not having access to your patient data can cripple your delivery of quality care.
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