In February 2024, the Change Healthcare ransomware attack shut down healthcare billing and authorization systems for providers across the nation, substantially impacting business systems, finances and patient care. United HealthGroup, the parent company of Change Healthcare, estimates that losses so far have topped $872 million, including a $22 million ransom payment and other direct and indirect costs related to the event. The attack also exposed some 124 million patient records, spurring a
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Healthcare Cybersecurity | Healthcare Data Security | Ransomware | Hospital Security Breaches
Cybersecurity: Building a Resilient Healthcare Practice in the Face of Cyber Threats
A 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
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RansomHub Leaks 175GB of Data from Clinical Research Institute
What You Should Know:
- The Baim Institute for Clinical Research, a leading non-profit academic research organization, has fallen victim to a significant ransomware attack, according to Safety Detective’s cybersecurity team. The cyberattack, perpetrated by the RansomHub group, resulted in the theft and subsequent leak of 175 GB of sensitive data.
- The stolen data includes a wide range of confidential information, including clinical trial programs, financial data, patient information, and
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HHS Launches Reorganization, Renames ONC, Stronger Focus on AI, Cybersecurity, Data
What You Should Know:
- The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) announced a significant reorganization aimed at enhancing its capabilities in technology, cybersecurity, and artificial intelligence (AI).
- This strategic move is designed to address the growing complexities and opportunities within the healthcare and human services landscape.
Key Changes and New Roles
Historically, responsibilities for technology, data, and AI policy were dispersed across
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Healthcare Organizations at Risk of Data Breach Due to Insecure File Sharing Practices
What You Should Know:
- A new report by Metomic, a data security company, reveals concerning vulnerabilities in how healthcare organizations handle sensitive data.
- The report, titled "Healthcare Data Crisis - Uncovering the Alarming Gaps in Data Security and Compliance," highlights the prevalence of insecure file-sharing practices that put patient information at risk.
Key Findings:
Exposed PII: A staggering 25% of publicly shared files contain Personally Identifiable
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Securing Your Hospital Network: Vendor Solutions Beyond Encryption
Modern healthcare environments are charged with processing massive amounts of patient data in tandem with an extensive network of connected clinical and administrative devices that can be infiltrated by hackers to access the entire system and hold mission-critical and patient-related information and services hostage. The robust data sets that can be exposed as well as the ensuing repercussions to reputation and profit means that the average cost of a healthcare data breach in 2022 was US$10.1
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White House, Microsoft, Google Partner to Bolster Rural Hospital Cybersecurity
What You Should Know:
- In a collaborative effort championed by the White House, the American Hospital Association (AHA), Microsoft, and Google announced a new initiative to bolster cybersecurity defenses in rural hospitals across the United States.
- The cybersecurity-focused initiative comes in response to the rising threat of cyberattacks on healthcare providers and the critical role rural hospitals play in their communities.
The AHA: A Leader in Cybersecurity
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Ascension Restores EHR Access Florida, Alabama, Austin Markets After Cyberattack
What You Should Know:
- Ascension announced it has restored EHR access in Florida, Alabama, and Austin markets affected by a recent cyberattack.
- Ascension anticipates completing EHR access across its entire network by June 14th. This will allow clinicians to access patient records seamlessly, mirroring the pre-attack workflow.
- Ascension Rx retail, home delivery, and specialty pharmacy sites are now fully operational. Healthcare providers can now transmit prescriptions
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US Government Invests $50M in Automating Hospital Cybersecurity Defense
What You Should Know:
- The healthcare industry faces a growing threat: cyberattacks targeting hospital IT systems. In response, the US government's Advanced Research Projects Agency for Health (ARPA-H) has pledged over $50 million to fund a groundbreaking program called UPGRADE (Universal PatchinG and Remediation for Autonomous DEfense).
- The success of UPGRADE has the potential to significantly improve hospital cybersecurity and protect patient care from cyber threats. By
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Why It’s Time to Go on the Offensive with Healthcare Cybersecurity
Being an avid soccer fan, player, and coach, I’ve heard countless times that “the best defense is a good offense.” As a cybersecurity professional, the concept of taking active steps to improve your team’s position resonates. However, cybersecurity programs within and outside the healthcare industry typically focus on reactive approaches.
The stakes are too high in healthcare to wait for a hacker to strike your organization, and meanwhile, the scale and scope of cyberattacks continue to
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