Data Security Must be the Topmost Concern in a Healthcare Setting

With the healthcare sector ushering in new waves of innovation and technology, digitization and technological integration is just impossible to ignore. But the increasing indulgence of technology in healthcare has its own share of risks and disadvantages. Even though healthcare organizations are building robust and complex IT environments to strengthen their data efficiencies and security systems, there exists an infinite array of vulnerabilities. In the wake of high-profile security breaches, cyber threats, phishing attacks, hackings, and ransomware incidents, data security cannot be overlooked. That too for healthcare organizations, it must be the number one priority concern, alongside patient care, as it can put the patient privacy and the healthcare facility at great risk.

In today’s Information Age, healthcare interoperability is quickly evolving and becoming integral to organizations, making the Big Data more complex and unwieldy. The high volatile changes in the healthcare system are allowing the patient data and privacy to be left at stake in the hands of the hackers, if not secured properly. Currently, there is a high value down the road for healthcare data, and so organizations have to establish the right set of policies and security measures to ensure that everything from EHR and patient information to financial data is secured in place.

Why are the Healthcare Record Hacks so Dangerous?

In recent years, the value of electronic medical records has increased sharply and hackers are much more interested in stealing this kind of sensitive information. On the black market, health data are considered more worthy than financial information and bank passwords as it can be used for identity theft. Moreover, the weak security policies at healthcare facility makeit an easy prey for cybercriminals to hack medical institutions rather than banks and other financial institutions, where a strong data protectionsystem with two-factor authentication is implemented. It has to be noted that anything from phishing attacks to malware can cause mayhem to the organization, putting sensitive healthcare data at risk in the hands of cybercriminals.

One of the primary reasons why medical data hacks are so dangerous is that it may not only result in material loss but also threaten the health and lives of patients. Incorrect information fed into the system can mislead physicians in providing the right healthcare to the patients. Anything from medical services and treatment to purchase of medicine can be tweaked, affecting the real clinical history in the records of the patients. Moreover, compromised or disclosed medical information is completely impossible to be recovered after fraudsters’ intervention. Therefore, it is high time that healthcare organizations achieve technically advanced and secure health systems to protect patient data and other health information from any unwanted access.

The trends of data breaches and ransomware look grim in the healthcare sphere. The hackerstoday use more sophisticated techniques to exploit data vulnerabilities, and so healthcare organizations have to stay updated with technology purveyors and cyber experts to mitigate the evolving security risks and be prepared to act proactively to combat the problem.

Healthcare Data Security:

The present spike in the use of technology in healthcare has made data security an importantconcern. However, the healthcare industry has no choice but to move forward with the advancements in the era of digitalization and IT. For this, they need to be aware of the risks surrounding the data collection and storageand therefore take the right measures that help tackle any potential threats and reduce the risks of data exposure. Particularly, healthcare facilities have to implement data protection from targeted DDoS attacks and hacks, virus or malware infections, and prevent inside job stealing of medical records.Welcoming new technological security solutions, upgrading existing security, and taking the help of cyber experts for surveillance can help healthcare organizations manage data security effectively.

Apart from cybersecurity experts and technical solutions, healthcare administration also needs to prevent potential human intrusion using reliable user authentication for accessing EHR and patient data. Healthcare organizations should have data security experts monitoring the access of data within the administration and implement necessary solutions and staff training for the purpose. Increased use of encryption, implementing layers of security protection, and other authentication techniques for data security would help prevent any potential vulnerabilities. Moreover, having breach notification can also help patients and administration take immediate steps to protect their identity in event of any security breach.

It has to be accepted that the organizationalcosts and risks associated with security breaches in healthcare are too high. The alarming number of security breaches and hacks in the recent years have made network security and data security one of the topmost concerns for healthcare providers as it leaves millions of confidential and personal health data at risk of exposure.

Understanding the reality of cyber threats and the risk in healthcare data accessibility, hospital management professionals need to work together with cyber experts to identify and protect the healthcare system. For this, the requirement is for qualified and trained administration professionals, holding updated knowledgein the aspects of technology and security solutions. In those lines, IIHMR, Delhi is one of the premier organizations imparting top-notch healthcare education and training to meet the demands of the industry.

IIHMR is a reputed institution producing efficient and capable healthcare management professionals who can handle the healthcare domain with expertise in technical operations and administration. We have been striving to teach and train students with both medical knowledge and information technology alike to help them keep pace with the changing trends in the industry and look-over healthcare administration with efficiency.