The recent CHIME survey reveals that social engineering weaknesses and data theft are the greatest threats to the healthcare industry.
Over the past five years the healthcare industry has suffered from continuous cyber attacks. As a direct response, healthcare chief information and security officers have boosted security protocols to keep attackers out. However, a recent College of Healthcare Information Management Executives (CHIME) survey reveals that the security threat has shifted towards social engineering and data thefts.
A New IT Security Threat Faces The Healthcare Industry
Healthcare organizations polled in the CHIME survey disclosed that social engineering attacks had become the most common industry security threat. The easiest way to exploit a healthcare organization has arrived at the hands of ransomware. Ransomware attacks occur when an organisation’s data is held hostage and only returned when the demand for payment has been accepted. In response to the increased number of ransomware attacks. These new guidelines are designed to help healthcare organisations more readily prevent, detect, contain, and respond to security threats, while simultaneously remaining compliant with established regulations.
As cyber criminals continue to attack the healthcare industry from practically every angle, IT security professionals are forced to reexamine existing authentication and security configurations. On countless occasions cyber attackers were able to hold data hostage due to poor authentication and security misconfigurations. The latter two security risks can be combated by:
- Educating staff and business partners on the best practice approaches to minimising the risk of an attack.
- Eliminating weak links within the network security configuration.
- Remaining prepared in the event a security incident occurs. Experience dictates that early detection is key to minimising the risks associated with a data security breach.
New payment and delivery models are creating an interconnected healthcare system. However, organisations need to feel confident that their technology partners can provide the tools and resources needed to support smaller organisations with limited budgets. The need for the right technology systems support is paramount when an attacker can exploit the weakest link, which in an interconnected system is often the smaller organisations who lack the required IT security resources.
The Bottom Line: A Managed IT Service Provider Offers Valuable Security Insights And Support
It is important that any sized organisation remains vigilant to possible threats as the entire healthcare industry continues to adapt to data threats and social engineering weaknesses. Any business that is running Windows Server 2016 and Citrix should leverage the expertise of a managed IT service provider. Your chosen provider will be able to optimise both technologies to ensure that the best results are achieved, while simultaneously keeping your IT data and infrastructure secure. For additional assistance or information on securing your IT networks, contact {company} located in {city} via {email} or {phone}.
