Carrie Gluck, Chief Information and Security Officer at Rectangle HealthA healthy patient-provider relationship is the foundation for delivering quality healthcare, yet increasingly occurring cyberattacks have negatively impacted patient health outcomes, data security, and care operations. With the recent cybersecurity breaches causing disruptions to operations and workflows that require a shift to manual and paper-based processes, providers must take all necessary technical steps to protect their patients, staff, and practice reputation from potential cyberattacks. Beyond reputational damages, cyber outages and even general IT disruptions deeply impact provider operations, especially affecting employees. Without core systems, software, and data available, provider staff takes on tedious manual tasks, including managing schedules, payment reconciliation, and reviewing extensive patient data, which overburdens them and further compounds negative impacts on operational efficiency due to decreased process efficiency and productivity. This article will explore common cyberattack outage sources, how staff can prevent and mitigate the risks of these sources, how provider organizations can implement compliance protocols, and ultimately, how to take proactive steps to protect the integrity of systems, ensure patient data safety, and improve current processes to ensure a continually thriving practice. Common Origins of Cyber BreachesAs recently reiterated by the Senate Finance Committee, most cyberattacks, including on major organizations, result from systemic lapses in compliance and cybersecurity protocols. According to the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the American Hospital Association, stolen credentials are one of the most common intrusion methods used by hackers, with login information often being acquired through minimal means. For example, hackers often use email phishing to steal login credentials and other employee information by posing as a well-known source, such as a credit card company, internet provider, or even a fellow colleague, and asking for sensitive information. Additionally, connecting to unsecured public Wi-Fi can expose employees to credential theft, eavesdropping, malware distribution, and session hijacking. Hackers sometimes only need a staff member’s email, as many software platforms don’t require strong passwords, making many easily guessable. The reality is that these attacks can happen to any healthcare industry organization

Zac Amos, Features Editor at ReHackWhile digitalization saves lives, it may also threaten them. The uptick in data breaches and cyberattacks targeting the healthcare industry correlates to the number of internet-connected and insecure technology facilities are adopting. Implantable medical devices are one of the latest victims of this trend — and their vulnerabilities could be deadly.Why are Hackers Targeting Implantable Medical Devices?According to a report from the U.S. Health Sector Cybersecurity Coordination Center and the Office of Information Security, the frequency of healthcare data breaches has trended upward since 2012. That number more than doubled from 2018 to 2021, marking an unfortunate milestone — and indicating the issue will continue worsening. It’s no secret the healthcare industry amasses a fortune of personally identifiable information (PII) and health data. In fact, while medical details sell for up to $250 per record, the next highest target — payment card numbers — only goes for $6 per sale

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