2015 was the worst year in history for breached healthcare records with more than 112 million records exposed or impermissibly disclosed. This implies the healthcare sector recorded three times as many data breaches as the education, finance, retail, and government sectors combined. If their medical records were lost or stolen, 48% say they would consider changing healthcare providers. sharing sensitive information, make sure youre on a federal The average cost of a data breach incurred by a non-healthcare related agency, per stolen record, is $158. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed [CDATA[ This is a problem that is only getting worse. In 2023, one of the biggest challenges in healthcare cybersecurity is securing the supply chain. Fast forward 5 years and the rate has more than doubled. Shields is a third-party vendor that provides MRI, PET/CT, and outpatient surgical services for the sector. Breaches of over 500 records, whether due to a hacking incident, accidental disclosure, lost or stolen devices, or unauthorized internal access, must be reported. IBMs 2021 Cost of a Data Breach Report revealed that the healthcare industry had the highest cost of a data breach for the eleventh year in a row, with an average cost of $9.23 million in 2021. In this role, Riggi leverages his distinctive experience at the FBI and CIA in the investigation and disruption of cyberthreats, international organized crime and terrorist organizations to provide trusted advisory services for the leadership of hospital and health systems across the nation. This enables health care organizations to leverage their existing culture of patient care to impart a complementary culture of cybersecurity. Learn more at www.NetworkAssured.com. //]]>. Like several other providers this year, the notice fell outside the 60-day HIPAA requirement. Earlier this month, a pediatric electronic medical records and practice management software vendor known as Connexin Software reported a network hack and data theft incident that impacted 119 provider offices and over 2.2 million patients. This is because ones personal health history, including ailments, illnesses, surgeries, etc., cant be changed, unlike credit card information or Social Security Numbers. Despite a minor decrease in the number of attacks against healthcare organizations from 2021 (715 breaches) to 2022 (707 breaches) the severity of attacks by records compromised, continued to increase. Complete P.T., Pool & Land Physical Therapy, Inc. New York and Presbyterian Hospital and Columbia University, Anchorage Community Mental Health Services. The incident forced Shields to rebuild the entirety of the affected systems. Is Healthcare Cybersecurity Getting Worse? Copyright 2014-2023 HIPAA Journal. Of the total amount of ransomware attacks reported in 2020, 60% specifically targeted the healthcare sector. Massachusetts Eye and Ear Infirmary and Massachusetts Eye and Ear Associates, Inc. General Hospital Corp. & Massachusetts General Physicians Organization Inc. University of California at Los Angeles Health System. Network Assured is a free, independent advisory that helps businesses price cybersecurity services, perform due diligence, and find better vendors. Please enable it to take advantage of the complete set of features! healthcare breach costs The healthcare industry has been called a high priority for hackers for a number of reasons including the value of the data they retain, the lack of Since 2019, the Office for Civil Rights (OCR) has been running a right of access initiative to clamp down on providers who fail to provide patients with access to their PHI within the thirty days allowed. What to do after a data breach: 5 steps to minimize riskDetermine the damage Thinkstock The first thing to figure out is what the hackers took. Can the bad guys use your data? Hackers take data all the time, but many times the stolen data is unusable thanks to security practices that include terms Change that password Reported in late October, Advocate Aurora informed patients that their health information was shared with Google and Facebook as a result of its use of Pixel on its patient portals, websites, applications and scheduling tools. All rights reserved. The sophisticated ransomware attack on Professional Finance Company in February is a prime example of how a single incident can impact hundreds of entities in healthcare. 30% do not know when they became a victim. While large-scale breaches occur mostly in United States, where increased regulatory oversight drives transparency, the EU, as evidenced by the progression of the General Data Protection Act, continues to take steps to increase the level of transparency regarding breaches. WebHackers access to private patient data not only opens the door for them to steal the information, but also to either intentionally or unintentionally alter the data, which could lead to serious effects on patient health and outcomes. Therefore, there is a higher incentive for cyber criminals to target medical databases. 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