The Impact of Data Breaches and Cyber Threats on the Healthcare Industry

The growing digitalization and the integration of technology into every aspect of life has brought with it its own share of disadvantages. When it comes to the healthcare sector, the recent digital changes in the sphere has necessitated the use and distribution of patient information across hospital systems for easy access to medical professionals, organizations, and authorized individuals. However, the growing prevalence of cloud solutions has made the healthcare system more vulnerable to attacks, cyber threats, and data breaches. It is important that the increasing risk of cybercrimes and threats in the healthcare industry are kept under a constant check as it would impact healthcare services, and most importantly, endanger patient privacy the most.

Today, the healthcare sector is creating highly volatile changes in digitalizing the systems and providing medical care. In their rush to adopt technology as a means to improve patient experience and healthcare operations, the system is becoming more susceptible to data breaches or other cyber attacks that could cause the entire system turn risky and unstable. Everything from medical records and research data to patient’s personal information, credit card details, and insurance details are at stake.

The personal and professional healthcare information belonging to millions of patients ending up in the hands of cyber hackers can wreak havoc in various ways. The threat of misuse or theft of these sensitive medical records of the patients, particularly from the health information technology (IT) systems, through cyber threats and security breaches, can cause serious risks to the organization as well as to the patient privacy.

Moreover, the recent WannaCry ransomware attacks in hospitals have brought to light the impact of data breaches and have exposed the need for security measures within the healthcare industry. As a result, it has become an immediate necessity for the hospitals and the entire healthcare sector to take cyber threats seriously and make efforts to avoid any kind of potentially devastating consequences to the system and its information through malicious attacks.

The internet of medical things (IoMT) and other connected medical devices used in the healthcare today are especially at the verge of being highly vulnerable to cyber threats because the role of cyber security within the healthcare system is often overlooked for performance and convenience. The more and more Internet-connected medical devices are incorporated into the healthcare systems, the more it provides avenues of ingress for the cybercriminals to attack the framework. Particularly, connected devices like pacemakers and drug pumps, when commandeered by cyber attackers, can produce fatal consequences for the patients.

However, cybercriminals are often inclined towards breaching non-life threatening devices in the system to gain access to the personal and sensitive information for their own benefits. Cybercriminals hack the networks and seize control of the systems to not only access or steal the patient data but various ransomware attacks in the recent times have also used it for quick financial bargains with the institution to unlock the system and avoid prolonged downtime that can cause damage to the organization’s reputation and, most importantly, the patient safety.

Healthcare is a vulnerable sector having so many pieces of connected devices and equipment along with different kinds of software running within the system. Cybercriminals are aware of this industry vulnerability and make it an easy target to generate a bunch of financial gains out of it. Healthcare organizations have to defend the entire healthcare system from cyber attacks and prevent any untoward consequences to the patient privacy and safety. It is necessary that they allocate adequate budgets and bring in skilled security personnel to tackle the security challenges and requirements in the field and protect the system from cyber attacks.

With the headline-grabbing data breaches and cyber threats prevailing over the past years, healthcare systems are now at more pressure than ever to redefine their privacy and cybersecurity strategies to prevent hackers from finding the most lucrative data in patient’s medical records. It has become essential for the healthcare organizations to rethink on improving their security and find ways to speed up the cybersecurity solutions to stay secured. In that sense, it is necessary for the healthcare industry to look upon recruiting dedicated cybersecurity staff as a part of the management crew through which they can assess, prevent, and find solutions to make security programs a priority.

As the healthcare industry has started recognizing the reality of cyber threats, the hospital management professionals have now got to play a major role in addressing the prevailing risks within the system and finding ways to prioritize, identify, and protect the entire system from any sort of potential cyber attacks. For this, well qualified and trained healthcare professionals having up-to-date knowledge about all the aspects of technology and industry demands are required to join the workforce. This is why so many healthcare organizations these days are on a hunt for efficient and capable healthcare management professionals having expertise in managing both patient care and technical operations. In that sense, professional level training and preparation from a reputed management institution offering quality hospital and health management education, training, and research can definitely help.

In that direction, the International Institute of Health Management Research (IIHMR), Delhi is a premier institution imparting top-notch healthcare education and training to prepare students into efficient professionals with immense experience and responsibility in the field of healthcare. IIHMR has pioneered in offering ace health management education to its students, preparing them as administrative professionals with expertise in both medical technology and health information technology. At IIHMR, the students are taught and trained to improvise healthcare administration and enhance healthcare delivery in the best possible way.

International Institute of Health Management Research
Best Health Institute Near Dwarka
Plot No. 3, Sector 18A, Phase- II, Dwarka, New Delhi- 110075
Phone: 91-011-30418900
Mobile Number: 91-9313346882 , 9555249998
Fax: 011-30418909
http://delhi.iihmr.org