Danilo Neri’s Post

Ransomware attacks on healthcare impact nearly five times more sensitive data: report Twenty percent of a typical healthcare organization’s sensitive data holdings are affected in a ransomware encryption event, compared with an average of just 6% in other industries.

The healthcare industry has long been a prime target for cybercriminals, and the recent news of a reported ransomware attack on a primary provider like Ascension is a disturbing reminder of the intensifying threats facing this critical sector. As healthcare organizations grapple with the fallout from such incidents, we must examine the more profound ethical implications beyond the technical and operational challenges. Patients entrust their most sensitive personal information to medical providers, and they have a fundamental right to expect the best care rendered and data safeguarded to the highest standards. This cyber attack is not just a technical problem but also a profound ethical failure. When healthcare organizations fail to secure their IT and OT systems adequately, they betray the trust that vulnerable individuals have placed in them. The consequences of a successful cyber attack can be devastating, both in terms of the disruption to critical medical services and the lasting damage to patient safety and privacy. Healthcare leaders have an ethical duty to elevate cybersecurity to the top strategic priority. Investing in the right tools, training, and incident response planning is not just a sound business decision but a moral obligation. Patients have a right to trust that they are best taken care of and that their most sensitive information is being safeguarded with the utmost care and diligence. As healthcare cybersecurity professionals, we bear a significant ethical responsibility to champion cybersecurity awareness and preparedness across the industry. This is the only way we can truly honour the trust that patients place in us and fulfil our duty to protect their wellbeing.   #healthcare #cybersecurity #ransomware #ethics #DataPrivacy #CyberThreat

Ransomware attacks on healthcare organizations compromise significantly more sensitive data compared with attacks on other industries, according to a report released Tuesday by Rubrik Zero Labs, the research arm of a cybersecurity firm.  Twenty percent of a typical healthcare organization’s sensitive data holdings are impacted — meaning files are encrypted, deleted or taken — in the event of a successful ransomware encryption event, compared with just 6% for an average company.  Healthcare companies hold an outsized amount of sensitive information relative to other industries, averaging 42 million sensitive data records compared to a global average of 28 million records. The gap between industries is projected to grow as healthcare organizations accumulate sensitive data at a more rapid clip, according to the report.

Cybersecurity breaches can severely impact patient trust, but rebuilding it is crucial for maintaining strong relationships and ensuring safety. Read our blog for strategies on restoring confidence and enhancing your healthcare security. https://lnkd.in/g5EmVDr2

Healthcare systems are responsible for storing sensitive, personally identifiable information. Unfortunately, this makes them an easy target for cyberattacks.   According to Christophe Van de Weyer, here are three ways that healthcare organizations can better protect their infrastructures from fraud:   1️⃣ Prioritize investing in cybersecurity solutions. 2️⃣ Train all employees — especially IT professionals — on the latest digital fraud trends so they are prepared to spot fraudulent activity and follow (or enforce) any internal policies. 3️⃣ Continue embracing MFA as the default standard to keep sensitive information secure.   While there is no “silver bullet” for stopping fraud altogether, putting safeguards like these in place can help protect sensitive health data from being at risk. 

So #healthcareIT does is seem that your #cybersecurity work is getting bigger and more complicated by the minute? Well, it probably is. Here is an article by Mariannemcfee McFee that talks about why. There is only so much you can do from a technology and security/privacy controls process. In your focus on technology do not forget to also remember your employees. They are your first line of defense against many #breach prevention actions. Make sure you train, re-train, and remind them regularly on their role in keeping patient data private and secure. https://lnkd.in/g7kQxPCA

⚕️15 million patient records. Stolen. Lifesaving systems. Locked.⚕️ When LifeLabs, Canada’s largest medical testing company, got hacked, they had no choice but to pay a ransom. Lives were on the line. Unfortunately this isn’t a movie. It’s real life. But prevention is possible. Here’s how: 🔷Follow HIPAA Rules: Privacy, Security, and Breach Notification. Compliance is your first line of defense. 🔷Conduct Regular Risk Assessments: Find your vulnerabilities before hackers do. 🔷Train Everyone: From doctors to janitors—everyone touches patient data. Make cybersecurity second nature. 🔷Control Access: Use role-based permissions and multi-factor authentication (MFA). Only trusted eyes should see sensitive data. 🔷Enforce Strong Password Policies: Weak passwords invite disaster. Use a manager and set mandatory updates. Cybersecurity isn’t just IT’s job. It’s everyone’s responsibility—and lives depend on it. Read our most recent publication, "How to Prevent Cyber Attacks in Healthcare" https://hubs.li/Q02_QbMD0 📣Were you or anyone you know affected by the LifeLabs cyberattack? Please share this post to anyone you know who's in the healthcare industry. The more awareness we have the better.

The Crowdstrike incident in July highlighted just how vulnerable IT systems can be to seemingly small issues. It also highlighted how businesses of all types need procedures in place to protect their customers, employees and operations when failures occur. This Software Advice article explores how well prepared medical practices are (or aren’t) and what they must do to reduce the impact of cyber attacks. #CyberAttacks #Cybersecurity #Healthcare

Healthcare truly is the preferred target of ransomware attackers...Healthcare data provides a rich environment with information that is both immediately necessary for life or death care and provides data points with long term value ranging from SSNs to blackmail opportunities. Security for healthcare data is more difficult to maintain than security for other potential targets due in part to the advanced age of much healthcare technology and the fact that there are so many potential entry points for bad actors. I did a short stint as CISO when we were between CIOs at PreferredOne. It gave me a tremendous appreciation for the constant barrage of attempted attacks that insurers and providers see every day. Healthcare organizations have to defend against every single attempt. The bad guys only need to be successful once. Cybersecurity is a tremendous problem that needs more concentrated attention.