Prevent data breaches with cyber threat knowledge, strong policies, employee training, and advanced security tech like encryption and intrusion detection.
Implement security framework including risk assessments, policy frameworks, security training, and tech solutions for real-time defense and intelligence in your strategy.
Secure patient data by tightening vendor security, testing incident response plans, and practicing good data management, including access control and secure disposal.
Time to read: 22 min
In an age where digital health records are the norm, protecting patient information is more critical than ever. This guide provides a proactive approach to prevent data breaches in healthcare, emphasizing the importance of policy, technology, and training to combat cyber threats. Transform your data security from reactive to proactive, safeguarding the confidentiality and integrity of healthcare data.
Formulating robust prevention strategies requires a clear understanding of the healthcare data landscape. The landscape is populated by diverse types of cyber attacks, each posing unique threats to healthcare data. Furthermore, understanding the motivations behind these attacks can shed light on the potential vulnerabilities that attract cybercriminals.
Robust prevention strategies are essential in preventing unauthorized access, theft, tampering, and accidental loss of healthcare data. These strategies involve the development of stringent policies, the implementation of cutting-edge security technologies, and the provision of ongoing training to ensure that staff members are vigilant and informed about cyber threats.
The healthcare industry is a prime target for various types of cyber attacks. From phishing to data breaches, these attacks can compromise healthcare data and disrupt operations. A notable example is ransomware, a form of malicious software that infiltrates health systems and data, rendering them inaccessible until a payment is made. To combat these threats, health industry cybersecurity practices must be implemented and continuously improved.
Understanding the spectrum of security threats is crucial for healthcare organizations to defend against potential cyber attacks effectively. Below is a comprehensive list of known threats provides insight into the tactics, techniques, and procedures employed by adversaries.
These are some of the most common cyber attacks that healthcare institutions face, highlighting the need for robust cybersecurity measures. Next we will explore some real world examples of cyberattacks on healthcare companies.
Kaiser Foundation Health Plan Data Breach: In April 2024, Kaiser Foundation Health Plan reported a data breach affecting 13.4 million individuals. The breach involved unauthorized access to network servers, resulting in the exposure of protected health information, including names, addresses, medical record numbers, and more.
DocGo Cyberattack: In May 2024, DocGo, a provider of mobile medical services, experienced a cyberattack that led to a significant data breach. The attackers accessed sensitive information, including names, social security numbers, and medical details of individuals across 26 U.S. states and the United Kingdom.
Group Health Cooperative of South Central Wisconsin Data Breach: In April 2024, Group Health Cooperative of South Central Wisconsin notified over 533,000 individuals of a data breach. The breach was caused by a cyberattack that resulted in unauthorized access to patient information such as names, addresses, social security numbers, and medical treatment details.
UC San Diego Health Phishing Attack: In January 2024, UC San Diego Health discovered a phishing attack that compromised two employee email accounts. The breach affected patient information in the lung transplant and rheumatology departments, exposing names, addresses, medical record numbers, and social security numbers for some patients.
McKenzie County Healthcare System Email Breach: In October 2023, McKenzie County Healthcare System detected unauthorized access to an employee email account. The breach potentially exposed the personal and medical information of 21,000 individuals. The health system has since notified affected individuals and offered credit monitoring services.
Cogdell Memorial Hospital Cyberattack: In October 2023, Cogdell Memorial Hospital, part of Scurry County Hospital District, reported a cyberattack that compromised protected health information. The breach affected nearly 87,000 individuals and included patient names, addresses, social security numbers, and medical records.
Change Healthcare Ransomware Attack: In February 2024, Change Healthcare, a subsidiary of UnitedHealth Group, experienced a cyberattack due to the lack of multifactor authentication (MFA) on a specific server. Hackers from the Russia-based ransomware gang ALPHV, or BlackCat, exploited this vulnerability, stealing over six terabytes of data, including sensitive medical records. The attack disrupted payment and claims processing nationwide, affecting patients and healthcare professionals.
UnitedHealth paid a $22 million ransom in bitcoin to retrieve the data. The breach has cost the company nearly $900 million and potentially impacted a substantial portion of the U.S. population. Despite the ransom payment, some sensitive records were still posted on the dark web.
Maintaining an updated and comprehensive list of these threats is vital for healthcare organizations to develop effective security strategies and training programs to mitigate risks. Websites that track and define these known threats, such as the US-CERT (United States Computer Emergency Readiness Team) or the MITRE ATT&CK® framework, offer valuable resources for staying informed about the latest security challenges.
These attacks not only disrupts the provision of care but also compromises the integrity of information, leading to various financial, patient care, caregiver, and reputational repercussions.
Understanding the motives behind cyber attacks can help security experts keep healthcare data secure. Cyber attackers are driven by diverse motives, from the pursuit of financial gain to the disclosure of compromised data and even hacktivism. For instance, groups like ‘KillNet’ have claimed responsibility for targeting hospital and health system websites.
Killnet is a pro-Russia hacktivist group that claims to target medical institutions in response to the United States Congress supporting Ukraine. Their largest attack as been on Distributed Denial of Service (DDoS) in January 2023.
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DDoS attacks flood targets with so much traffic they can't handle legitimate requests, effectively causing a service outage. Killnet orchestrated a series of cyber onslaughts against various healthcare organizations across the United States. These meticulously executed attacks resulted in service outages that spanned several hours to days, causing significant disruptions in healthcare services and operations.
Understanding attacker motives is crucial for developing targeted defenses and maintaining patient trust by preventing data breaches. Once there has been a breach, having a security plan in place is essential to understanding what specific sensitive data has been compromised and how the breach occurred. A good healthcare data security plan is crucial to effectively address vulnerabilities and strengthen their security measures.
A strong plan to prevent a data breach is vital to counter these threats. Such a plan typically includes:
Risk Assessment: A thorough risk assessment to pinpoint vulnerabilities
Security Policy: The establishment of policies and procedures to create a security framework
Staff Training: The implementation of employee training to ensure that staff members are knowledgeable and capable of taking necessary measures to prevent data breaches.
An integral part of a robust plan to prevent a data breach is risk assessment. This process aids medical institutions in identifying vulnerabilities, prioritizing security efforts, and allocating resources effectively to mitigate the risk of data breaches.
Identifying and addressing potential threats to patient safety and data privacy can be achieved through the evaluation of safety risks, analysis of potential hazards, and implementation of preventive measures.
Define Scope: Determine the boundaries and objectives of the risk assessment.
Identify Risks: Recognize potential risks to healthcare data security.
Analyze Risks: Assess the probability and impact of each identified risk.
Develop Mitigation Strategies: Formulate methods to minimize or eliminate risks.
Implement and Review: Execute mitigation strategies and regularly review the risk assessment process for effectiveness.
By following these steps, healthcare organizations can effectively safeguard patient data against potential threats.
Another key element of a plan to prevent a data breach is the establishment of policies and procedures. These provide a framework for consistent security practices throughout the organization and ensure compliance with regulatory obligations.
The importance of outlining policies and procedures in a security incident handling guide cannot be overstated in the healthcare sector. A guide serves as a comprehensive manual that outlines the procedures and protocols to be followed in the event of a security incident, ensuring a swift and effective response.
By having a well-defined incident handling guide, healthcare organizations can ensure that they are equipped to handle cyber threats efficiently while maintaining the trust of patients and stakeholders.
Designating a security official for the development and implementation of these policies is critical. Regular reviews are necessary to stay abreast of technological advancements and evolving organizational needs.
Marc Alringer, the visionary President and Founder of Seamgen, has been at the forefront of digital transformations, specializing in web and mobile app design and development. A proud alumnus of the University of Southern California (USC) with a background in Biomedical and Electrical Engineering, Marc has been instrumental in establishing Seamgen as San Diego's top custom application development company. With a rich history of partnering with Fortune 500 companies, startups, and fast-growth midsize firms, Marc's leadership has seen Seamgen receive accolades such as the Inc 5000 and San Diego Business Journal’s “Fastest Growing Private Companies”. His expertise spans a wide range of technologies, from cloud architecture with partners like Microsoft and Amazon AWS, to mobile app development across platforms like iOS and Android. Marc's dedication to excellence is evident in Seamgen's impressive clientele, which includes giants like Kia, Viasat, Coca Cola, and Oracle.
Preventing data breaches also hinges on employee training and awareness. Through comprehensive employee training programs, healthcare organizations can equip their staff with the knowledge and skills necessary to:
Threat Identification: Identify and report potential security threats.
Incident Response: Respond effectively and efficiently to security incidents.
Regulatory Compliance: Comprehend and adhere to HIPAA and PHI regulations.
Incident Recognition: Recognize, report, and avoid phishing and social engineering attempts.
Best Practices: Handle data securely, following best practices for data integrity.
Proactive Measures: Apply encryption and other protective measures to safeguard sensitive information.
Security Training: Participate in regular security awareness training and simulations.
Authentication: Utilize secure password practices and authentication methods.
Keep Your Guard Up: Maintain vigilance against insider threats and maintain a culture of security.
Continuous Learning: Engage in continuous learning about emerging threats and security protocols.
Another important aspect to security is empowering healthcare employees with the essential knowledge and skills to prevent data breaches through targeted training initiatives. Below are various training programs to help staff learn and stay up to date with essential knowledge and skills.
By participating in these training programs, healthcare employees can become proactive participants in their organization's data security efforts.
These programs, often supported by the department of health and human services, cover a wide range of topics that are essential to maintaining the integrity of patient data. There are also an assortment of private businesses that training groups and individuals for certifications in healthcare cybersecurity.
The implementation of advanced security technologies in the healthcare industry further fortifies healthcare data security. Technologies like encryption, intrusion detection and prevention systems, and advanced threat intelligence can significantly bolster healthcare data protection by safeguarding patient's sensitive data and mitigating the risk of data breaches.
Below are more details about some of the advanced technologies that play a crucial role in protecting healthcare data.
Advanced security technologies are the linchpin of a robust healthcare data protection strategy, but their effectiveness hinges on the expertise and vigilance of the professionals who manage and oversee these systems. These technologies are tools that require skilled personnel to operate them effectively.
Security systems must be properly configured, routinely updated, and continuously monitored to detect and respond to threats in real time. Skilled cybersecurity professionals transform sophisticated security technologies into a formidable defense against cyber threats.
These professionals are responsible for interpreting complex data and alerts generated by security technologies, discerning false alarms from genuine incidents, and taking swift action to mitigate risks. Investing in ongoing training and professional development for cybersecurity teams is just as important as investing in the technologies themselves to maintain a resilient healthcare data security posture.
At Seamgen, we specialize in creating cutting-edge, secure mobile applications tailored to your needs. Whether you're in healthcare, entertainment, or a Fortune 500 company, our experienced team ensures your app is robust, innovative, and protected against cyber threats.
Healthcare organizations require staff and vendors to adhere to specific certifications and compliance standards to ensure the security and confidentiality of patient data. These certifications serve as evidence that staff and vendors have met rigorous industry and regulatory standards for data protection.
Below are a list of essential certifications and compliance standards.
Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) signifies a suite of regulations designed to safeguard patient health information, ensuring its confidentiality and security during handling by various healthcare entities.
It is a fundamental requirement for all healthcare vendors to comply with HIPAA. This ensures that vendors handling protected health information (PHI) have the necessary safeguards to protect patient privacy and data security.
The Health Information Trust Alliance (HITRUST) Common Security Framework (CSF) certification is a comprehensive and widely recognized security framework that aligns with healthcare, business, and regulatory requirements. Vendors with HITRUST CSF certification have demonstrated a high level of data protection and risk management.
FHIR, standing for Fast Healthcare Interoperability Resources, is a protocol of standardization in the healthcare IT realm. It's the golden rule that healthcare information systems faithfully follow to communicate seamlessly with each other, ensuring that patient data flows smoothly and securely across different platforms.
It streamlines data sharing between different healthcare systems, ensuring that patient records are easily and securely accessible to authorized healthcare providers. This enhances care coordination and patient outcomes.
NIST, or the National Institute of Standards and Technology, is a beacon of best practices and guidelines for cybersecurity and privacy. Professionals in IT and healthcare look to NIST standards to make sure strong security measures are in place, effectively safeguarding sensitive data according to the highest industry benchmarks.
NIST develops and promotes measurable standards that are widely adopted in the healthcare industry to protect sensitive patient data against unauthorized access and cyber threats.
These standards help organizations in the implementation of security systems, risk management frameworks, and compliance with regulations such as HIPAA. By adhering to NIST guidelines, healthcare providers can enhance their cybersecurity posture and secure the confidentiality, integrity, and availability of healthcare data.
In healthcare data security, a SOC (Security Operations Center) is a centralized unit that monitors and analyzes an organization's security posture. Staffed with security experts and equipped with sophisticated technology, a SOC identifies and mitigates cyber incidents to protect patient data and maintain healthcare compliance.
As healthcare organizations increasingly rely on third-party vendors for various services, it becomes essential to ensure that these vendors are compliant with security best practices. This can be achieved through rigorous vendor risk assessments, establishing robust contractual obligations, and continuously monitoring vendor performance.
Identifying potential security risks associated with third-party vendors is facilitated by vendor risk assessments. By systematically evaluating potential risks associated with vendor relationships, organizations can ensure that vendors meet required security standards and safeguard sensitive healthcare data from breaches.
A vendor risk assessment template is essential as it provides a structured approach for evaluating the potential risks associated with third-party service providers. This template typically includes criteria for assessing a vendor's security policies, data handling practices, compliance with relevant regulations, and their history of data breaches or security incidents.
A vendor risk assessment template is vital for several reasons:
Identification of Security Gaps: It helps in identifying any security gaps in a vendor's practices that could jeopardize sensitive healthcare data.
Regulatory Compliance: Ensures that vendors comply with industry standards and regulations, such as HIPAA, which is crucial for protecting patient information.
Risk Mitigation: Assists healthcare organizations in developing strategies to mitigate identified risks before they can be exploited.
Vendor Accountability: Establishes clear security expectations and responsibilities, holding vendors accountable for maintaining high security standards.
Due Diligence: Demonstrates that an organization has performed due diligence in selecting vendors, which can be important for legal defense in case of a breach involving a third party.
Continuous Improvement: Encourages continuous improvement in security practices through regular assessments and reviews.
An effective vendor risk assessment template should cover areas such as the vendor's organizational structure, security controls, data encryption methods, incident response capabilities, employee training programs, and any certifications or audits they have undergone.
By systematically evaluating these areas, healthcare organizations can make informed decisions about which vendors to work with and how to manage those relationships to ensure the security and privacy of healthcare data.
Contractual obligations are fundamental to for vendor management in healthcare data security. This is crucial because vendors often handle or have access to sensitive patient data, and any weakness in their security practices can lead to data breaches and compromise patient privacy. By setting clear terms and conditions, contractual obligations ensure that third-party vendors adhere to the same stringent security standards as the healthcare organization itself.
Whether all vendors can support these obligations depends on various factors, including their size, resource allocation, expertise, and the specific nature of the services they provide.
Contractual obligations ensure that vendors adhere to security best practices and are held accountable for any breaches. By mandating vendors to:
Take Responsibility: Defend and indemnify the healthcare organization against any claims and losses related to data or security breaches.
Security Measures: Implement appropriate security measures to protect data.
Updates and Patches: Regularly update and patch their systems.
Security Audits: Conduct regular security audits and assessments.
Breach Notifications: Notify the organization in a timely manner in the event of a breach.
Organizations can instill a sense of responsibility and commitment towards data security among their vendors. For example, a typical clause in a vendor contract regarding data security might state:
Additionally, a vendor contract may include a requirement for the vendor to carry insurance that covers data breaches and cyber incidents, which could be stated as:
It's common for organizations to work with legal counsel to tailor contracts specifically to their needs and industry standards.
A robust incident response plan becomes indispensable in the event of a data breach. It provides a systematic approach to managing the fallout of a data breach, ensuring a coordinated and timely response to minimize damage and restore normal operations.
An incident response plan provides a systematic approach for managing a data breach. It outlines the roles and responsibilities of the incident response team and defines the procedures for incident classification and response. For instance, a typical incident response plan may include the following steps:
Preparation: Establishing and training an incident response team, and developing and implementing security policies and tools.
Identification: Detecting and identifying the nature and scope of the incident.
Containment: Implementing measures to contain the incident and prevent further damage, such as isolating affected systems.
Eradication: Identifying and eliminating the root cause of the incident.
Recovery: Restoring and validating system functionality, and monitoring for any signs of lingering issues.
Lessons Learned: Conducting a post-incident review to identify lessons learned and improve future response efforts.
Regularly testing and updating the plan ensures its effectiveness and adaptability to evolving threats and organizational changes.
The effectiveness and adaptability of the incident response plan to evolving threats and organizational changes can be ensured through regular testing and updating. This can be achieved by:
Conducting real-life simulations: For instance, simulating a phishing attack to assess the team's readiness and response effectiveness.
Validating vendor call and notification lists via paper tests: Ensuring all contact information is current and accurate.
Reviewing end-user procedures through tabletop exercises: Discussing hypothetical scenarios in a controlled environment to refine processes and improve preparedness.
While strategic planning and advanced technologies form the backbone of data security, there are several best practices that can further enhance patient data protection. These include access control, secure disposal of unnecessary data, and mobile device management.
Limiting unauthorized access to sensitive patient data can be achieved through access control measures. By restricting access to electronic health records (EHRs) to authorized personnel, access controls ensure that patient data is only accessible to those who need it for their job duties, thereby minimizing the risk of data breaches.
The risk of data breaches can be reduced further by securely disposing of unnecessary data. This includes implementing secure disposal methods, developing comprehensive document disposal policies, and providing HIPAA training to employees.
Regular reviews of the disposal process and the use of physical destruction methods can further ensure the secure disposal of healthcare data.
As the use of mobile devices in healthcare settings increases, mobile device management emerges as a crucial aspect of data security. By governing the use of personal devices and implementing security protocols, medical organizations can minimize the risk of data breaches resulted from lost or stolen devices.
SOPs are crucial for healthcare data security, providing clear instructions for staff to prevent data breaches and ensure compliance with laws like HIPAA. They streamline processes across the organization, minimizing risks and protecting patient information by detailing protocols for access management, encryption, audits, and incident response. Their importance lies in establishing a consistent and secure approach to handling sensitive health data.
To sum up, healthcare data security is a multifaceted issue that requires a comprehensive and proactive approach. From understanding the healthcare data landscape to implementing robust prevention strategies and best practices, healthcare organizations must leave no stone unturned in their quest to safeguard patient data.
In this digital age, the stakes are higher than ever. As healthcare data breaches continue to pose significant threats, it is incumbent upon healthcare organizations to reinforce their defenses and ensure the safety of their patient records. With the strategies and best practices outlined in this guide, healthcare organizations can take a big step towards achieving this goal.
